Stranger From The Past
by BlackLupin
Summary: Sirius meets someone someone from his past - Becky Pettigrew. Can he learn to love her despite Peter's betrayal? Why does she put Snape in a fouler mood than ever? In this new chapter, Becky discovers Snape's secret.
1. When Old Friends Meet

**When Old Friends Meet**

Sirius could not believe his eyes. 

His dark orbs locked on to her blue ones. 

He blinked. Once. Twice. 

She was still there.

Rebecca Pettigrew. 

============ FLASHBACK ==============

The Marauders were all staying at the Potters' Manor in the week leading to the big day – the wedding of James Potter and Lily Evans.

Actually, it was not as though there were so many things to see to before the wedding. That was merely the official excuse. In truth, Remus, Peter and especially Sirius, wanted to spend time together with James. They knew that after the marriage, the Marauders would never be the same again. James, though still very much one of them, would have different priorities – to be a good husband, lover and perhaps in the near future, a good father.

Sirius was secretly jealous of Lily. Just a little. Ever since James met her and later dated her, Sirius had to share his longtime best friend. Now that James was marrying her, Sirius would see even lesser and lesser of him. 

That week was, in some ways, meant to be the Marauders' last gathering – the final one before they (well, some of them anyway) had to grow up from a boy to a man, recognising and taking on more solemn responsibilities.

But the four friends were not given the luxury of privacy. The intrusion did not come from Mr and Mrs Potter. They were understanding parents who knew the boys' need to be left alone. The disturbance came in the form of Peter's half sister, whom they all referred to as Becky. Her real name was Rebecca, but she hated the name that she shared with her mother. Peter's father had two wives, and Becky, two years younger than Peter, was an offspring from the second. 

One could not say that Peter and Becky were ever close siblings. But Becky did put their family ties to good use by making sure that it allowed her the privilege of hanging around Sirius practically daily – something that she had been doing since the day she was transferred from Durmstrang to Hogwarts in the boys' final year. 

Hanging around Sirius had its advantages. She was a convenient choice for a date whenever he was in-between relationships with other girls. And being a player, that happened very often though never for more than two weeks. There was hardly a shortage of girls throwing themselves at the most good-looking guy in the school. 

Fortunately for Becky, none of the girls had her patience and opportunities. She managed to ensure that she continued to be in Sirius' constant line-of-sight after his graduation. Her efforts paid off and she was now seeing more of him than ever.

*

"Hi guys!" Becky sashayed into the bedroom shared by Peter and Remus for the week. She chose to sit next to Sirius, sliding as close as she could without their bodies touching. 

James frowned at her. "We're having a private meeting. If you don't mind –"

"I don't," Becky cut in with an air of nonchalance, deliberately ignoring his obvious hint. She was used to such remarks, just as the Marauders were used to the fact that there was nothing much they could do to make her stay away – not even the many pranks they played on her.

"I told her not to tag along," Peter squirmed uncomfortably.

"Now, Wormtail, that's not the way to treat your little sis!" Sirius said casually, throwing an arm lazily around the girl. 

Becky shot her half-brother a smug look of triumph. "Now, what were you guys talking about before I came in?"

"General and boring stuff, of course," James replied with a straight face. "You know…about war and books."

Becky snorted. "That can only be Remus. As for the rest of you, it's probably about girls and Quidditch."

"Hey! Are you hinting that Moony is a bore?" Sirius asked playfully, earning a dirty look from Remus.

Becky pouted as she leaned closer to Sirius. "Let's go take a walk outside. The weather's great."

"Later."

"I'll wait for you in the hall. Don't be long," she told him in her husky voice and blew a breath of hot air into his ear.

Sirius rewarded her with a charming smile. "I'll be right there." 

============ END OF FLASHBACK ==============

"Becky?"

She stared at him, equally shocked. "Sirius."

_Oh Merlin! It's really her!_

***


	2. Willow Creek

**Willow Creek**

"What are you doing here?" they asked at the same time.

Sirius almost hit himself. His question was unnecessary. It was obvious to any sighted man what Becky was doing, since she was standing in front of the vacant house amongst countless trunks and cartons. ****

"You're moving in?" He stated the obvious.

Becky nodded. "You're in the neighbourhood to visit a friend?"

Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, I live here. Number 13 Willow Creek."

He watched as her eyes widened in surprise.

"So we've become neighbours," she said softly. "I swear I did not know you're here."

He could not tell if she was pleased with the prospect. "Meaning you would not have rented Number 9 if you knew I live here?" 

He waited, expecting her to give a flabbergasted protest. Instead, she remained calm.

"I don't know," she told him quietly before adding with an air of resignation, "I bought the place."

Sirius smiled. _So she owns this house. _"We'll be seeing more of each other then," he said and gestured towards her trunks and cartons. "Need my help to get your stuff inside?"

'No, thanks. I can manage," she answered a little too quickly. 

He nodded, turned away and made his way slowly back to his own house.

* 

Becky was still staring at the ceiling two hours after midnight. Her body was exhausted and screaming for rest, but her mind was buzzing and refuses to relax. Images of her brief encounter with Sirius earlier that day were keeping her awake. 

Sirius. Sirius. Sirius.

The man she had loved for so long.

================ FLASHBACK ==================

"I don't believe Sirius would kill Peter and James! There must be some mistake!" Becky cried in horror when she heard the news.

An official from the Ministry of Magic was at the Pettigrews' house to relay the news that Peter had been killed by Sirius, who apparently also blasted thirteen other Muggles who were unfortunate enough to be out on the streets at the fateful moment.

Peter's mother, Margaret, was sobbing hysterically, in the arms of Charles Pettigrew.

"Hush, Becky! This is not the time to be wilful," her mother Rebecca chided.

"He suffered such a tragic death!" Margaret continued to wail. Peter's body was said to be blasted into bits - the only piece that was large enough to be identified was a finger.

"That cold-blooded b*stard! To think we allowed Peter to be friends with him!" Charles yelled in a mixture of pain and fury for the death of his only son. 

"Sirius is not a cold-blooded murderer! He'll never be! He loves James dearly and he loves Peter too!" Becky's eyes were welling up, more for Sirius than for her half-brother.

CRACK!

Becky lost her balance and fell to the ground, a palm pressed to her left cheek that was stinging from her father's forceful slap.

"Not one more word from you!" he directed his anger at her. "It's your brother he murdered!"

Becky glared at her father in defiance, as she slowly got to her feet.

The Ministry official, who had been watching the scene awkwardly, gave an empty cough and told the Pettigrews that he would take his leave. 

"I'll send you out," Becky offered quickly, making her way to the door before anyone could protest.

As soon as she stepped outside with the official, she grabbed him by the collar, causing the man to gasp.

"Take me to him. Please," she pleaded. "I need to see Sirius."

He pried her hands off his clothes and threw her a strange look. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Miss Pettigrew."

"I'll not be in the way, I promise! I just want to see him before the trial!" She sounded as hysterical as Peter's mother now. "I want to hear from him that he didn't do it!"

"I can't do that. No visitors are allowed at Azkaban."

Becky shook her head to clear it. She must have misheard him. "Sirius can't be at Azkaban. His trial is not over yet," she muttered.

The official regarded her gravely. "There's no trial, Miss Pettigrew. Black will be in Azkaban for life."

"No trial?" she echoed in horror. "How can the Ministry sentence someone to Azkaban without a trial?"

The official's expression grew hard and cold. "If you'd excuse me, I have other Ministry matters to attend to."

Becky's knees buckled and she sank to the ground. 

_It's a nightmare. All this is not real._

She stayed on the front pouch of her house for a long time, crying her heart out.

============== END OF FLASHBACK ===============

Becky reached out for an edition of the Daily Prophet she had received two weeks ago – the one that had turned her world upside down once again. She stared at the cover story for what was probably the hundredth time. 

Sirius Black was innocent and given immediate release from the wizard prison, together with five thousand galleons from the Ministry as compensation for the twelve wasted years of his life.

Becky remembered her heart leaping with joy when she first started reading the article, and how her mood did an about-turn as she scanned the rest of the article 

Peter was still alive. He was the one who engineered James' death and framed Sirius for it. It was too bad her parents and stepmother were no longer alive to learn the truth - of what a scumbag Peter really was. They had all died one after the other in the past decade, and Becky decided to spend most of her inheritance on this new house and hopefully, a new life. 

But her family's past was catching up with her again. Sirius would never forget what Peter had done to him. Becky felt neither pain nor pity for Peter who according to the Daily Prophet, would be administered the Kiss on the very next day. She would not shed a single tear for that traitor. She had no more to spare after mourning for Sirius Black.

*

A few houses away, Sirius was also tossing and turning in his bed. Images of a blue-eyed blonde floated in his mind. He had almost forgotten about her after his first few years at Azkaban. The dementors had taken away most of his happy thoughts and he was left with the memory of Peter's betrayal and the loss of James and Lily. Memories of Becky had flooded back to him in a rush, ever since their reunion today. There was something distinctly different about her now - a maturity that had never been present. Gone were the seductive teases and uncurbed adoration the girl had showered upon him. Instead, he was now faced with a woman who seemed uncomfortable and awkward in his presence. She was only eighteen when they last met. In fact, their last meeting took place the same morning of James' death and Sirius' capture. They had spent the previous night together at Sirius' rented place.

Her parting words had been "you'll agree to make me Mrs Black some day." He had laughed at her remark - one that she used to make often, and pressed his lips to hers for the last time. 

_The last time indeed,_ he thought in mixed bitterness and sadness. _She probably doesn't want to see me again. _Not years ago when she thought he was responsible for her brother's death. And certainly not now when it had become a reality and indisputable fact after Sirius and Remus caught Peter in the Shrieking Shack, with the help of Harry – James' son, and two of his friends.

***

I'm sure you've guessed by now that this fic will be AU. In this fic, Sirius was freed after the two Marauders caught Peter in the Shrieking Shack at the end of Harry's third year.

**ANNE( v )79**: You're the first reviewer! YAY!!! And to answer your question, the young Marauders did find the young Becky irritating sometimes. Only young Sirius did not mind as much since her adoration stroked his ego. But things may be different now cuz that was twelve years ago and everyone might have changed.

**Viraten**: Thanks for your encouragement! :)

**Summerkins:** You're so sweet as always! 

**OutofAzkaban**: He only has one April so far! Since he broke off with Caitlin and is not (or not yet?) romancing Kathleen and Becky!

**Faith456**: Thanks! Hope this update is soon enough. Enjoy! :)

**padfoot-dreamer**: So you're now officially reading all three of my stories?! Oh, wonderful wonderful wonderful Allison!

**SjabRox**: I've received a couple of reviews saying that April and Nat are Mary-Sues. At least now I'm sure I'll not receive the same comment about Becky! ;)


	3. Knots To Be Untied

**Knots To Be Untied**

Sirius was awakened by loud continuous knocks on his front door. Grunting in annoyance, he crawled out of his warm bed, pulled on a shirt and padded into the hall.

The front door swung open even before he reached it. Remus Lupin appeared at the doorway.

"I can charge you for trespassing," Sirius said calmly before turning in the direction of his bedroom. ****

"Where do you think you're going, Padfoot?"

"Back to sleep."

"Why can't you just put up some wards on your front door?" Remus asked as he followed behind Sirius.

"You're the only one who dares to barge into my house uninvited. Sirius Black is a dangerous murderer, you know."

"You've been cleared of the charges a month ago," Remus reminded. "And what's wrong with you this morning?"

"Is there something wrong with me?" Sirius forced a chuckle. 

"You're especially edgy."

"You've finally mastered Legilimency?" Sirius countered as he falls into his bed.

"Padfoot –"

"Stop it." ****

"What?"

"Stop asking."

"You're really going back to sleep? So what do I do?"

"Simple. You have two options." Sirius flipped onto his front. "Either leave or entertain yourself in my hall."

Remus threw his hands up in the air. "I'll take a walk and be back in an hour."

Just as Remus was leaving, he heard Sirius mumble something.

"What did you just say?"

"You may bump into her," Sirius repeated. His eyes were open now, and there was a faraway look in them.

"Bump into her? Who?"

"Becky. Rebecca Pettigrew."

"Becky?"

"Damn it, Moony! Must you keep repeating after me like a parrot?"

"You saw Becky? She's coming here later?" Remus asked incredulously.

Sirius shifted onto his back. There was no way he could go back to sleep now. "She's my new neighbour at Number 9."

"What?"

Sirius had to smile despite his frustration. It was a rare sight to see his friend stunned and at a loss for words.

"She didn't know I live here. Not until we met yesterday."

"And?" Remus cocked a brow.

"And?" Sirius grunted again as he sat up in his bed. "What do you expect? That we'll kiss and make up? Forget everything that has happened?"

"Padfoot," Remus went over and placed a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder. "You're not blaming her for what happened, are you?"

"She has nothing to do with what Wormtail did."

"Then what's the problem? You're here, and she's here too. You two can talk it out and carry on as before."

Sirius shook his head slowly. "Pick up the pieces and continue? It's a stupid cliché. Things don't work that way in real life."

"She's married?" Remus ventured a guess.

"I don't know."

"Kids?"

"Moony," Sirius growled. "I said I don't know!"

"Then ask her."

"It's not so simple. Don't you see?" Sirius got out of bed and started pacing about his bedroom. "She thought I killed her brother. I was framed then. But now, it has become a fact. Wormtail will lose his soul to the dementors any minute now." He paused for breath before continuing his rant. "What can I expect from her? To rush into my arms and pledge undying love? To pretend the past twelve years never took place?"

Remus frowned thoughtfully. "I think you're worrying too much, Padfoot. Becky has always been closer to you than to Wormtail. In fact, I don't think she has ever been truly fond of him."

Sirius stopped pacing and whirled around to face his friend. "You really think so? You're not making this up to make me feel better?"

"Of course I'm sure," Remus replied with more confidence than he felt.

"Then I should go see her?"

Remus nodded in the affirmative.

Sirius stared at his longtime friend for several moments. "Maybe I should," he agreed finally.

*

Four doors away, Becky was curled up in her couch, flipping through a huge aged photo album. The young Marauders were grinning and waving at her from every picture. It was an album that belonged to Peter. She had found it when clearing out his room more than a decade ago.

Becky found her favourite picture of Sirius, and sadly traced a finger over his face. Still in his Quidditch robes, he was really happy when the picture was taken. The Gryffindors had won another match and clinched the Quidditch Cup. Becky herself had been the photographer. 

=============== FLASHBACK ================

Becky's first day at Hogwarts was an eventful one. The deputy headmistress McGonagall had stuffed an old and shabby hat onto Becky's head and the girl almost jumped when it declared "Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall had been pleased and congratulated her, adding that she was placed in the same house as Peter.

Becky had nodded politely and pretended to be glad, though she did not really care if she never saw her pathetic-looking half-brother again. They had lived their lives apart till very recently and they were almost strangers anyway.

Becky was determined to get around on her own, without help from Peter. But on her very first day at Hogwarts, she soon found herself lost in one of the many school corridors. And she was very late for Charms.

"Flitwick is supposed to be nice. Surely he'll not be angry if a lost transfer student skips one lesson?"_ s_he wondered aloud as she slowed her steps and decided to explore the castle instead.

Becky stepped onto a moving staircase that brought her to the third floor. Forgetting McGonagall's warning not to venture there, Becky got off the staircase and took a walk.  There were several closed forbidding-looking doors. Becky tried to open them one by one but they were all locked.

"What are you trying to do?" A harsh voice rang out.

She turned around sharply, her hand still on a doorknob. It was Filch, the school caretaker.

"Nothing. I – I'm just – looking around," she stammered.

"This place is out of bounds!" Filch bellowed.

Becky clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry – I forgot –"

"Forgot? I must have heard this stale excuse at least a thousand times." He smiled menacingly at her.

CRASH!

"What's that noise?" Filch looked around sharply.

CRASH!!!

It was louder this time.

Filch growled and took off in the direction of the noise, leaving Becky standing there open-mouthed. As she was deciding what to do, something bumped into her and she could feel fingers curling around her left arm. Her scream was muffled by an unseen hand closed over her mouth.

"Keep quiet!" a low voice urged. "Follow me! Hurry!"

She was practically dragged away, feet barely touching the ground. Her mind did not register the route she was taking. Becky soon found herself shoved into an empty classroom, staring at the young man who appeared under the invisibility cloak. She could not tear her eyes away from him – standing before her was the most good-looking guy she had every seen. 

He looked at her with amusement. Something in his manner told her that he was used to such attention from the fairer sex.

"So you're the little sister," he said casually, leaning some of his weight against the wall.

She opened her mouth but could not find her voice. Her throat felt completely dry.

"You'd better not wander about by yourself. Not till you're more familiar with the castle," he told her with a wink. "If you have to break the rules, it always pays to have one of these handy," he added, referring to the silver cloak he was folding.

Becky's mind only cleared long after the mysterious boy had left. The first word that came to her was "Wow!"

*

Becky promised herself that she would search the Great Hall for the boy at lunchtime. But she soon found out that it was unnecessary. As soon as Becky approached the long Gryffindor table, she heard his voice and felt a thrilling shiver down her spine.

"Hey, little sis! Over here!"

It was him. Sitting right there with…her half-brother!

From that moment, Becky found herself being immeasurably warmer towards Peter. She followed Peter whenever and wherever she could. She had the motivation to get close to her half-brother now, for he was never far from the good-looking guy. And Becky would do anything to get close to the boy who sent her heart racing.

On her first day at Hogwarts, Becky knew that she had fallen helplessly and hopelessly in love with Sirius Black.

============ END OF FLASHBACK =============

Becky shut the photo album gently. She had made up her mind. The Pettigrews owed Sirius an apology. And being the last surviving member of her family, she would have to take on this responsibility. 

She had to pay Sirius a visit.

***

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

**ANNE( v )79**: What can I say other than THANKS, THANKS, THANKS!!! :)

**Viraten**: The next chapter will be longer, I promise! I'm halfway through that know and it's already ten pages of scribbled text.

**Summerkins**: Yes, I think you're sweet for giving me all that support! I look forward to reading more of your new fic!

**potts**: Thanks for liking my story! :)

**the counter**: I fully understand why you chose this nickname. You REALLY like to count, huh? 

**uNoeWho**: I know who you are – SjabRox!:) Thanks for agreeing that April is no Mary Sue. But does it mean that Nat is one? Hee…just kidding.

**padfoot-dreamer**: I've updated two of my ficcies and will upload another chapter for my third ficcie very soon. Hurry! ;) I saw the Return Of The King on 17 Dec. It was great! I love the uplifting ending!

**Annoriel**: You were away for a while and I missed you! Yay! Now you're back and you reviewed all three of my stories at one go! Thanks! Did the Sirius-Peter's sis ficcie you had in mind have a good ending? 

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**Tanglise**: Thanks for all your reviews! It was a pleasant surprise to log this morning and see so many reviews from you! And…WOW – you're reading all three of my stories! Thanks for your encouraging words and also thanks for adding me to your list of favourite authors!


	4. Becky Snaps

**Becky Snaps**

Becky pulled back her hand. She wiped her damp palms on her jeans before raising a hand to the doorbell again. Her hand froze in mid-air for several seconds before she withdrew it for the second time. 

"It's not going to work," she mumbled to herself, before making her way slowly back to her own house.

Becky could not bring herself to face Sirius, despite the long pep talk she had given herself earlier that morning. 

Once back in the safe haven of her home, she collapsed onto the carpeted floor, silently berating herself for her cowardice. Hot tears stung her eyes and poured down her cheeks as she contemplated her next course of action.

I'll sell this place and move away. Once I find a buyer, I'll somehow summon the courage to go to Sirius to apologise. Then I'll promise him that he'll never see another Pettigrew again. 

Becky could not ignore the strange sense of loss that threatened to consume her when she thought of never being able to see Sirius again.  She had gone through so much to finally earn a little of his affections. That was before they were abruptly torn apart - one at Azkaban and the other at France. A ghost of a smile touched her lips as she recalled the happiest day of her life – three days after the wedding of James Potter and Lily Evans.

============= FLASHBACK ===============

Becky went in search of Sirius after the wedding ceremony. It was held in a church - a request made by Lily's parents that James was only too happy to oblige.

She found Sirius in the church backyard. He was seated on a muggle swing, shoulders slumped and looking very forlorn.

Becky gingerly approached him, and said in her gentlest voice, "Sirius, don't be so down. I know exactly how you -"

"No one will know how I feel right now!" he snapped.

"That's not true!" she protested. "You're feeling as though you've just lost your best friend."

He jerked his head in her direction before looking away again.

"You still have me," she added softly, kneeling down and laying her hands on his knees.

He slapped her hands away. "No one can replace Prongs."

"I'm not trying to replace James! But I can make you feel better -"

"You're just a kid," he said bluntly. "I'm not in the mood to babysit."

Becky gasped at his words. "I'm not a kid. And I'm certainly not a little kid sister whom you have to babysit. I can take care of myself."

"You're still schooling for Merlin's sake."

"I'll graduate in a few months' time!" 

Sirius snorted. "So what? Becky, it's time to grow up. You're not my type. If you think you can get me to change my mind when I'm feeling like shit now, I'd say you're out of your mind."

"Sirius!" she clung to him but he loosened her grip and stood up. "You said you enjoyed our dates!"

"Sure I did," he said easily. "You were always there when I needed a girl to kiss and cuddle." Part of his conscience told him that he was being cruel, but another part of him wanted to transfer the hurt and loss he felt to someone else. And Becky unwittingly became the unfortunate target.

Her face had grown pale. "Is that it? I'm just someone you make out with? What do you take me for? A slut?"

Sirius looked surprised at her choice of words. "You're not a slut, Becky. I've never thought you as one. It's just –" He sought the words. "It's just that you're always conveniently there when –"

"When you need a girl to kiss and hug?" 

He was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"I thought we were past that stage. I thought we've made progress and I'm no longer a Quaffle that you toss around when you're bored," she said in a quiet voice, on the verge of tears. "I thought we had something special."

Sirius felt sorry for her. But he decided to be cruel in order to be kind. "Move on. I'm not the one for you. Go find someone else."

"Is that what you want?" she asked miserably. "Is that what you really want me to do?"

He nodded wordlessly.

Becky ran away as tears blinded her, coming to a halt only when she passed the refreshment table and saw a waiter mixing a new batch of punch.

"I'll take care of that for you." She snatched a bottle of brandy from him and raised it to her lips.

"Miss –"

Waving a hand dismissively at the stunned waiter, she took another swipe as she made her way to a more secluded corner of the church.

*

About half an hour later, Becky was feeling considerably happier. Her head felt lighter and she caught herself giggling aloud. She raised the bottle to her lips again, only to toss it away in disgust when she found it completely drained.

"Becky!" Peter scrambled to his sister's side. "Becky, are you alright?"

She tried to get to her feet but found it impossible to stand still without swaying.

"Hey, careful!" Remus cautioned as he grabbed her hand to steady her.

The two young men exchanged worried looks.

"Have you been drinking?" Peter asked needlessly. The stench of hard liquor under her breath was unmistakable.

Becky stifled another giggle as her eyes began to glaze over and then refocus again. She noticed Remus and to his horror, wrapped her arms around him. "Do you want me?" she asked in-between hiccups.

"You're…you're drunk!" Remus replied as he pried her hands away, whilst looking to Peter for help. The latter understood his plea immediately and pulled his half-sister away.

"I'll go get Padfoot," Remus said hurriedly. "He's the only one she listens to."

Peter nodded desperately. Just as he was watching his friend's hasty departure, Becky suddenly felt a wave of nausea, and retched right into his rented tuxedo. Swearing helplessly, he hurried away to get himself cleaned up.

Left alone, Becky surveyed the wedding guests. She soon shortlisted a dark stranger and marveled at how he shared Sirius' height and dark hair. Perhaps if she tried hard enough, she could pretend he was the love of her life.

Becky staggered towards the man who was probably in his late twenties. She lost her balance just when she was about to reach him and promptly fell into his arms. "Do you find me attractive?" she slurred, smiling up at him. "You know, I'm not a kid anymore. I can prove that to you, if you want."

The stranger looked at her with interest, as though considering her offer.

Her hands snaked to the back of his neck and she attempted to pull his face towards hers. Before their lips met, Becky felt her arm yanked away by someone who also pushed the stranger aside.

She turned her attention to the intruder. "Hi, Sirius darling! How nice of you to join us! I'm just about to do exactly what you asked me to. See? Isn't Becky a good girl?"

Sirius looked as though he was about to slap her hard across the face, before deciding against creating a scene at James' wedding reception. He roughly shoved the girl to Peter. "Get her home and make sure she stays there," he instructed his petrified friend.

"You can stop me today, but you can't stop me tomorrow," Becky hissed. That was the last thing she remembered before she passed out.

*

Becky gave an exasperated sigh. It was the third day after the wedding and Sirius Black had moved into a spare room at the Pettigrews' residence. She had never realised that her home was so small – for it seemed that every corner she turned, she'd bumped right into him.

"Hi there," Sirius greeted her smilingly, leaning his tall lanky frame against the kitchen doorway.

Becky's hands trembled a little as she carried on making the tea, feeling Sirius' full stare burning into the back of her head. Finally, she slammed the spoon onto the cabinet and turned around frustrated. "Can't you occupy yourself somewhere else?" she snapped.

"The rest of your family is already taking up most of the space in the hall and I don't feel like staying in my room. Your house is not that big, you know," he pointed out.

"Fine. If this place is too small for you, you don't have to lower yourself to squeeze with the rest of us commoners."

He brushed off her sarcastic remark and shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Why don't you just move into your rented place sooner?"

"It's not ready yet," he reminded evenly. Sirius had been staying with the Potters for the last few years and had found a rented place to move into after James' marriage. 

Becky remembered bitterly that she had been the one who had persuaded him to stay with the Pettigrews till his new home was ready. But that was a week ago. Things were different now. She wasn't anyone special to him afterall. She was just some girl he could hug and kiss at his own convenience and whim. _A slut_, she reminded herself. 

She still felt butterflies in her stomach whenever she saw Sirius or even hear a mention of his name. But now, she also felt a sense of shame, disappointment and bitterness that came with being used.

She decided to give up her futile attempt at making tea.

"Going to Diagon Alley again?" Sirius blocked almost the entire exit from the kitchen.

Becky felt a sense of triumph. She knew that the boys were worried after she had created the scene at James' wedding. Since that day, Peter and Sirius and sometimes even Remus had mysteriously turned up whenever she tried to chat up a guy during her daily trips to Diagon Alley. And she knew that Peter and Sirius were taking turns watching her at home too.

"Are you trying to follow me again?" she confronted him.

"Follow you? Of course not!" He put on an innocent look that could have fooled her if she did not know him as well as she did. 

*

Becky pulled on a pair of tight jeans and the skimpiest top that she owned. She knew the boys would not leave her alone in that outfit. _This is so ironic_, she thought. _It's not too long ago that I was the one who tagged along with them as an unwelcome guest. But now they're the ones not letting me out of sight. _The smile was abruptly wiped off her face as she remembered the reason for their paranoia. She had seemingly gone crazy for men and shamelessly flirted with almost every one she came across. She did not fully comprehend why she had to do it. The one thing that mattered was this seemed to be the only way she could still get Sirius' attention, however pathetic a way it was.

*

Becky smiled for this first time since she reached Diagon Alley almost an hour ago. She finally found the person who would get on the Marauders' nerves.

"Severus! How lovely to see you!" she greeted the greasy-hair young man warmly.

Severus Snape eyed with wary eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here! I need help. Will you be a dear and help me out?" She leaned closer and Severus immediately took a step backwards.

"Is this some kind of joke, Pettigrew?" Severus asked suspiciously, eyes darting around, looking for signs of the Marauders.

"I'm here alone," she cooed, reading his mind. "You'll help me, won't you?"

She slipped an arm through the crock of his elbow and he froze. Becky smiled to herself and chose to take it as a good sign that he did not pull away. "I'm dying of thirst but I don't want to go to the Leaky Cauldron by myself. You'll go with me, right? Please? I'll buy you a drink."

Snape cleared his throat nervously. He was certainly not used to getting accosted by women, particularly not one as persistent and in-your-face as the one before him. "I can get my own drink," he replied after much thought.

And she beamed at him as though he was the most attractive man alive. 

*

Becky stifled another yawn and widened her eyes to look interested. She regretted encouraging Severus to talk. It was more bearable when they were both silent. Now that he was on the roll, it seemed as if he couldn't stop.

"Severus," she interrupted him abruptly. "Shall we take a little walk? I need to run some errands back at Diagon Alley." She let out a breath in relief when he gave a curt nod and obliged.

As soon as they passed the brick wall that parted for them, Becky caught sight of a familiar figure lurking in the shadows. She smirked. Acting fast, Becky grabbed Severus and fell heavily against him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, startled.

Becky rolled her eyes discreetly and carried on the pretence. "I suddenly feel faint, Severus. Will you hold on to me for a little while?"

He hesitated. "I –" 

She feigned another fainting spell and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Please –" she whispered, burying her face in his chest. 

"Rebecca, would you like to take a seat? We can go back to the Leaky Cauldron."

To Severus' horror, Becky suddenly pulled his head down and began to kiss him passionately. He almost choked when he felt her tongue in his mouth.

Then suddenly, with equal lack of warning, he felt a pair of strong hands pulled him apart from Becky and slammed him onto the hard ground.

"What the –" his angry words stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed the identity of the newcomer. "Black –" he spat before his eyes traveled to the girl who was struggling to free herself from Peter's grip.

Severus' lips curved into a sneer and addressed the three Gryffindors coldly. "I suspected this is one of your preserve jokes. I'm not far from wrong."

"It's not –"

"We're going home, Rebecca," Peter interrupted Becky with barely contained anger. It was the first time he had lost his temper with her, and Becky cringed involuntarily.

"Stay away from her, Snape. Do you hear me?" Sirius glared murderously at the Slytherin.

Severus got to his feet slowly and wiped his sore lips with the back of his hand. He was beginning to realize that Sirius and Peter did not like what Becky was doing. "I'll keep her under lock and chain if I were you," he said in his most condescending voice. "Instead of telling me to stay away, why don't you just tell her to stop throwing herself at me?"

Sirius' fingers tightened around his wand, knuckles turning white.

"I'm ready to go home." Becky spoke up abruptly, distracting Sirius from what he was about to do. "I've had enough," she declared before turning her back on them and huffing away.

The men threw one last disgusted look at Severus before following behind Becky, hoping that they had witnessed the last of her antics for the day.

*

It was a good thing Mr and Mrs Pettigrew were not home when the younger ones returned. It would no doubt warrant some explanation when Sirius and Peter practically dragged the girl into the house. 

Tossing her bodily onto one of the overstuffed cushions, Sirius exploded. "What the hell were you thinking of?"

She did nothing to hide her smirk. "Doing what you commanded me to," she shot back, gaining satisfaction to note the disapproving look Peter threw in his friend's direction.

Sirius was stunned for a while. "You're doing all these to spite me? Don't you look how stu –" He stopped abruptly as he noticed Peter leaving the hall. "Wormtail! Where do you think you're going?"

"Out," Peter replied evenly. "I figure that you two should solve whatever problem there is between yourselves. I need a breather." With that, he disappeared into the direction of his bedroom.

Sirius returned his frustrated gaze to the remaining Pettigrew. "Can we stop this game?"

"I'm unaware I'm playing one with you."

"What the –" He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just leave me alone."

"You really want that?"

Becky stared at door longingly, as though hoping to make her escape. 

"Answer me!" Sirius demanded.

"You know what I want, Sirius," she said quietly. "You just can't give it to me."

"I told you we're not –"

"I remember what you said." Her eyes were flashing. "If you don't care, then why are you so upset that I'm with those guys?"

"Of course I'm upset! You should just take a good look at yourself! Do you really have to cheapen yourself to get back at me?"

"I just wanted your attention!" she yelled. 

"But it's –" Sirius began but did not have the chance to complete his sentence as Becky had stood up and grabbed him by his elbows. 

"I don't want to be your kid sister. I want you!" she pleaded. "Can't you love me just a little?"

"Becky –"

"I'm not asking for much."

"I know. But –"

"Don't you care just the tiniest bit? Am I asking too much of you, Sirius?"

He frowned deeply. "You know I can't give you any promises."

"I don't need them. I just want to be with you."

"Are you sure that's what you really want? I can't –"

"I can't stand not being with you," she sobbed, pressing her wet face against his chest. "Even if you treat me like a sl –"

"Don't say that word again! You're not one and you know it."

"I don't fancy any of those guys, Sirius. I really don't. I just wanted –"

"To make me mad," he finished for her. "I was mad! You've succeeded."

"So –" she asked in a small voice.

"So?"

"So what do you say? Can I…will you…can we pretend that the past four days didn't happen and continue from where we were before the wedding?"

"No," he stated plainly.

She pulled away, looking so miserable that he felt some of her unhappiness too.

"Why don't we start from the beginning? From we first met?" He broke into a slight smile. "We'll make sure that we start on the right footing this time."

Becky was confused. "How is that possible? We can't be getting to know one another all over again."

"Why not?" he questioned. "Just pretend you're on your way to your first class at Hogwarts."

She was beginning to catch on, and a faint resemblance to a smile appeared on her lips.

Sirius took a step backwards. "So you're the little sister," he said dramatically, repeating his first words to the girl years ago.

"Do you know my brother? He's Peter Pettigrew," she played along, suddenly transported to the forbidden area on third floor at Hogwarts.

"Sure I know him. But Peter never told me his sister is such a looker!"

Becky giggled. "I'm his half-sister. Same Dad, different Mum."

He pretended that was the first time he was hearing this. "That figures. I'm Sirius Black."

"And I'm Becky Pettigrew."

"So can I help you, Becky? You look lost."

Becky's grin disappeared, and she cleared her throat nervously. "Actually, yes. I'm lost."

"Where would you like to go to?"

"I want to find the way into Padfoot's heart. Can you help me?" She looked at Sirius uncertainly and his expression turned serious too. 

"I know Padfoot well. I may be able to help."

Her eyes widened. "Really?" 

"Sure! And he just told me that he would like to get to know you better," Sirius mumbled as he drew Becky closer and planted a hot, passionate kiss on her lips.

=============== END OF FLASHBACK ===============

Becky smiled wryly to herself. 

That was the beginning of her happiest days. But all good things must come to an end, right?

***

**ANNE( v ) 79**: They'll meet in the next chapter, I promise!

**Summerkins**:  Happy new year to you too. Oh, and I've corrected the spelling.

**Out Of Azkaban**: There'll be more stuff coming up, but this fic will probably not be more than ten chapters, so don't count on too many complications!

**Annoriel**: They'll meet again in the next chapter.

**uNoeWho**: Yup, Nat is a little on the evil side. She's a Slytherin afterall! I think the Sorting Hat may have made a mistake sending Kate to Slytherin too. Perhaps there's a side to her that has yet to surface? Anyway, Becky is very different from Kate and April. She's much more desperate for Sirius than the other girls! Kate and April may be miserable without him, but they'll still survive.

**potts**: lorealgal? Hee hee. So is Nilu your real name or nickname? Thanks for reading my fics and raving about them in your reviews to TBYA :)

**Viraten**: This chapter is the LONGEST I've ever written – even longer than those in my other two fics. Some things are happening in the next three chapters, then it may be time to wrap-up.

**padfoot-dreamer**: Am I adding stress to you? LOL. I'm updating ICSY early next week, so you still have time to upload a new chapter before I do! And yes, I love the Return Of The King! It made me interested enough to spend three days reading LOTR fanfics! ;)

**moe**: Yay! Moe is reading this fic too! I know it may not be as good as the other two I'm working on, but I'm trying to make this as bearable as possible. Thanks for your constant support & encouragement! 

**sweetqtpie072689**: Hi Nicole! Thanks for including me in your fav authors' list. I really really really appreciate it! :) 


	5. Getting To Know You All Over Again

**Getting To Know You All Over Again**

Just when Becky finally summoned the courage to face Sirius, she heard footsteps outside her door. ****

_Great,_ she thought wryly. _An interruption just when I'm ready to do the deed. Now I have to begin from square one all over again. _

Scowling, Becky yanked open the door and…gasped.

Sirius.

It was Sirius Black.

It took several seconds for her to realise that her mouth was hanging open. Embarrassed, she quickly composed herself.

"Hi," he muttered with matching unease, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Unable to find her voice, her only response was to stand back against the door, letting him pass.

Sirius entered and glanced around the hall. It was neat and the furnishing was kept to the minimum. _How unlike Becky_, he thought, before giving himself a harsh reminder that more than a decade had passed. How well could he claim to know her now?

Becky noted his surprise. "I'm not a very good interior designer," she said awkwardly, rubbing her damp palms onto her skirt.

"It looks great," he quickly assured her. "It's just that this doesn't look like a place you'll – it just doesn't look you." He gave up explaining, knowing he was not doing a good job.

A tinge of smile touched her lips. "Then what will be more like me?"

"A lot more cluttered and messy," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

To his relief, she showed no trace of being offended. Instead, she started giggling like a little girl – almost like the old Becky Pettigrew he used to know.

"You stay here alone?" he ventured and was secretly happy to see her confirmation.

There was another awkward stretch of silence before she finally gestured for him to take a seat and mumbled about getting him a drink. Sirius settled on her couch and watched her disappear into the kitchen. At that moment, it dawned upon him that he did not know what to say to her. He began to search his mind frantically for a topic but came to nought. He was licking his lips and silently berating himself for being so unprepared, when she re-entered the hall with two cups of hot tea.

Sirius sipped the drink slowly, observing Becky from the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, realisation struck him and he peered into his cup.

Becky smiled in understanding. "You've always liked it thick. Two teabags to a cup. Earl Grey. No milk. One teaspoon of brown sugar," she recited from memory.

"You still remember."

"I used to be your tea-maker, remember? There was a period when I made a cup for you daily."

Sirius nodded absently. In the one year that they had been _almost _a couple, Becky had visited his rented apartment daily, fussed over him and made him feel like a king – at least that was how he thought a Muggle king would feel.

She sensed his mood change and sobered up too.

They sat there quietly, sipping from their cups. About ten minutes later, the tea was gone and they no longer had an excuse not to speak. She set down her now empty cup on her lap and restlessly traced the rim over and over again with a finger.

"Sirius –"

"Becky –"

She looked down self-consciously. "You first."

"No. You go first."

"No. What were you trying to –"

"You should –"

"I'm sorry." They both said together and stared at the other in astonishment.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he told her.

"My brother - it was my brother who landed you in this mess. If it wasn't for Peter," she swallowed hard, "James and Lily will still be alive and you would not have –" Her voice broke and she looked away hurriedly, blinking back tears of resentment and frustration.

"It's not your fault," he insisted. There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Do you blame me?"

She whirled to stare at him in surprise. "Blame you? Why would I do that?" 

"If it wasn't for my sheer stupidity, Wormtail would never have gotten the chance to betray –" Suddenly, he couldn't bring himself to utter the name of his late friend. "If it wasn't for me, you may still have a brother."

"It's not you, Sirius. Peter would have found a way even if you had not let him be the Secret Keeper." Becky could not stop herself any longer. She got on her feet as feelings bottled up for the past decade come pouring forth. "You've always been more important to me than anyone else, Sirius," she said in a whisper that was barely audible. "Peter doesn't even come close. I never believed for a moment that you betrayed James. I know you would never do that. I thought it was a gross misunderstanding, or some accident that went terribly out of hand. Then I read the recent reports and found out the truth. My brother was the one responsible for the whole nightmare, only that it's one we'll never wake up from. I hate him, Sirius. I hate him to the core and I wish he's dead."

"He is now. He's little more than dead now after the dementors were through with him," he said bitterly. He stood up, crossed the room and stayed beside the windows.

"Can we stop talking about him?" She bit down her lower lip.

Sirius turned to face her and forced a stiff smile. "How have you been all these years?"

"We moved to France soon after that – incident." She shot him a nervous glance. "Then I found a job at a dress shop and have been dolling up French witches ever since." 

"Why are you back in Britain?" 

"My parents died. I wanted to leave France and start a new life." Her voice sounded hollow. "Enough about me. Let's talk about you instead."

He grimaced. "What's there to tell? That I spent twelve years holed up in that hell? Oh that's great, I can still rhyme."

Becky gave a small nostalgic smile as memories of the young Sirius and his escapades came to her mind. "I read about your escape from Azkaban. That was pretty spectacular." She moved closer and studied his features. "You've changed, Sirius."

"Me? Are you trying to tell me I'm no longer the to-die-for bloke you used to be crazy about?" He knew that his feeble attempt to lighten the mood had fallen flat as soon as those words were uttered.

Becky's heart ached. She remembered the Sirius she used to know and searched for some resemblance to the grown man in front of her. 

"Can I give you a hug?" she asked suddenly.

His jaws fell apart. This was definitely not what he was expecting to hear. 

Taking his silence as consent, Becky closed the distance between them with another step, curled her arms around Sirius and pulled him into a hug. She continued to cling to him and tightened her arms.

"Becky –"

"I missed you, Sirius. I wanted to see you but they won't let me. They said no visitors were allowed. When I just heard about your escape, I wanted to come back at once, to be nearer where you were. But Mum was very ill then and I couldn't leave. Afterwards, I was no longer sure where you were, whether you were still in Britain." She rambled on as she soaked his shirt with hot tears. "Are you the Sirius I used to know? I wish there's some way I can erase all those years and let all of us return to the past. I wish there's some way I can make it up to you. I wish I can undo all the damages we Pettigrews have done to you. And James. And Lily."

She glanced up at him and felt a sharp stab of pain. Sirius' dark eyes no longer contained laughter and arrogance like they used to many years ago. Instead now, there was a haunted look of someone who had experienced and seen too much pain and regret. That was when Becky pulled away from him abruptly and took a few steps backwards.  

"Nothing can undo the past," he told her in mixed sadness and bitterness. "I've made a mistake and I have to live with it for the rest of my life."

The stretch of silence lasted longer this time, with neither of them knowing what to say. 

Finally, Sirius turned his back to her and made for the door.

"Sirius!" she finally found her voice. As he spun around quizzically, she drew her courage and looked at him steadily in the eye. "I have something that belongs to you." With that, she disappeared into where he presumed her bedroom was located.

Moments later, his breath caught in his throat when he saw what she had retrieved. 

His wand. 

The wand he had not seen for the past thirteen years. 

The wand he last used on the night of James' death and his capture.

"How did you get this?" he croaked.

"I sort of bribed a Ministry official to let me have it. I told him that I wanted to have the wand that killed my brother. He thought I was going to destroy it. That was what the Ministry intended to do anyway, so he saw no harm in letting me do the honours. Of course, my reward of twenty galleons helped him make his decision fast."

Sirius took his wand and stroked it fondly, as though it was an old friend who had died and come alive. He wanted to thank her but words failed him. But the look on his face told her all there was to know, and when he opened his arms to her, there was no hesitance as she flung herself against his chest.

He held her so tightly that she felt almost breathless. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anything else, besides the fact that she was in Sirius' arms once again.

Then she heard the words that made her smile go even wider.

"I missed you too."

His voice was so quiet that she might have imagined it, and it took a swift upward glance to confirm that her ears were not playing tricks on her. "You did?" she asked in a small voice.

In response, he kissed her hair and pressed her harder against him.

Becky sighed contentedly. "I'm not dreaming, am I? Tell me I'm not dreaming."

"Okay, you're not dreaming," he deadpaned.

She pulled away slightly and looked into his face, feigning an angry glare. 

Then he started to laugh. His whole face lit up and Becky felt herself melting with happiness as she recognised yet another trace of the former Sirius. Her mouth parted with a smile as she lifted a hand to caress his chiselled features. 

"I love you so much, Sirius," she whispered, and felt another flood of tears rushing to her eyes. She refused to let them fall. "I love you, I love you and I love you."

Sirius found his lips curling upwards instinctively, as a warm feeling surged through his body. Did he love her? He had never truly been in love. Perhaps if he had been allowed to live a normal live like the other wizards, he would have fallen in love with a woman, married her and be a father of a handful of kids. 

And that woman could have been Becky.

But now, he would never know. 

Sirius mentally gave himself a little shake. He could not afford to dwell too much into his past. The future was what he should concentrate on. 

So did he love her? He was not even sure if he was capable of loving anyone for the rest of his life.

But there was one thing he knew for sure – he did not want to leave Becky. Not yet anyway. She was someone familiar, a comforting presence and a link to the happier times he was desperate to hang on to.

Her blue eyes searched his face slowly, memorising the now more weathered features of the man she had been crazy about all her life. Finally, she reluctantly pulled her glance away. "You're still the same in many ways," she concluded. "You still can't bring yourself to commit to someone."

"Sorry."

"There's no need to apologise. You've never said you love me and I'm under no such delusions. I know you better than that. Looks like I've to work hard to earn it."

He grimaced as another long-lost memory struck him. "As long as you don't pull the same stunt and make out with everyone in trousers."

She grinned. "But that worked, didn't it?"

"All I would say is, it sure got my attention."

Her grin grew wider. "And that's good enough for me."

Sirius let out a little sigh. "So where do we go from here?"

***

Becky will meet Remus in the next chapter.  After that, things get interesting when she meets Harry and…yes, good old Snape.

*

**Tanglise**: Becky did not hit on James when she's drunk. She passed out before she had the chance! ;)

**padfoot-dreamer**: Thanks :) I'm getting a little tired of writing about Sirius though…maybe I'll turn my attention to Remy for a while. *Sirius suddenly turns up and points his wand at BlackLupin, growling angrily*

**potts**: Sorry for taking such a long time to update this story. The next chapter should be up sooner.

**Summerkins**: If Alan Rickman is still acting as Snape the Greaseball, I don't mind kissing him ;)

**uNoeWho**: How's your story coming along? 

**Snuffles2984**: Thanks for adding this story to your list of favourites! Know something? You're the first person to add this story without including at least one of my other two fics. I'm VERY happy cuz I know for sure that you like SFTP for its own merits!

**sweetqtpie072689**: I'm glad that you're reading all three of my stories! 

**Annoriel**: I hope you'll never cease telling me how much you love my fics, cuz it brightens up my day each time you do so! LOL

**moe**: I've updated FBOFW and the next chapter is almost ready. Will upload as soon as I get more reviews ;)

**love-that-dog**: Yay! You're officially roped into all three of my stories! I've made some minor changes to my summary for this fic – inspired by your review! :)

**AnimegirlH**: Yes, I'll finish this fic. Stay with me, okie?

**alwaysginny, Viraten, ANNE( v )79, Faith456, OutofAzkaban**: Are you gals still here?

*

Have I told you that the next chapter will get uploaded when I get enough reviews? So please be nice and click on the button at the bottom left corner now! ;)


	6. Meeting Moony

A/N: This chapter is mainly a transition whereby Remus and Becky meet again, and she's persuaded to visit Hogwarts.  We have only a few chapters to go. There'll be a twist in the later chapters. Watch out for it! :)

*

**Meeting Moony**

"More tea for you, Moony?" Sirius asked. Without waiting for a reply, he summoned the teapot and spelled it to deposit the hot liquid into Remus' half-empty cup.

"Milk?" he asked again, before flicking his wand in the air, mumbled some words and soon, milk was added to the tea.

"You need sugar as well, of course," he decided. Two cubes of sugar float passed him and landed in Remus' teacup. A spoon descended into the cup and stirred its contents.

"Done!" Sirius announced proudly. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? Drink!" 

Remus shook his head at Sirius, amused. "Do you have to use magic for something as simple as making a cup of tea?"

The ex-convict shrugged nonchalantly. "If you have the means, why waste it?"

"You seem pretty determined to make Sirius Junior work hard. What a slave driver," Remus teased. Sirius Junior was the nickname Sirius gave his wand when he received it when he was two. 

Sirius ran his fingers up and down his eleven-inch mahogany wand. "This old buddy has been resting for over a decade. It's time it does some work."

"So how does it feel to know that Becky kept your wand for twelve whole years? That certainly doesn't sound like someone who's upset with you at all."

A smile ghosted Sirius' face. "Yeah, she doesn't blame me. What happened to her sorry-excuse-for-a-brother doesn't bother her."

"So what exactly is your relationship now?"

"Frankly, I don't know. Guess we'll have to figure that out as we go along." Sirius summoned a pillow from his bedroom and hugged it to his chest. After all those years of living in a cold bare room with hard floors, he now appreciated every little comfort. "Since we're on this topic, there's something I meant to ask but didn't get a chance to. Have you met anyone special all these years?" ****

Remus smiled mysteriously. 

"That's a yes?" Sirius leaned closer to his friend. "So who's she?"

"Her name is Naomi Carter. She teaches at Muggle Studies at Hogwarts."

"She knows about your…condition?"

Remus nodded.

"That's great! I'm really happy for you, Moony!"

Remus grinned. "Thanks, and I'm happy for me too." 

"How did you two hook up?"

"It's a long story. We met some years back, but it's really recently after I started teaching at Hogwarts that we realised we have something special going." 

"I can't wait to meet her."

"That's simple. Come to Hogwarts tomorrow and I'll introduce both of you. Actually, Naomi is dying to meet you too."

"Sounds good to me. As long as you're not scared that your girl will be blown away by my irresistible charm."

"Still as egoistic as ever, Padfoot?" Remus chuckled. "I have complete confidence in Naomi, so you can turn on your charm at full blast for all I care."

"Don't regret your words!" Sirius rubbed his hands in mock glee, and got a slap at the back of his head from the werewolf.

"Do you think Becky would like to come with us?"

Sirius gave a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "You want Becky there to make sure I don't have a chance to sweep your lady off her feet?"

"I'm serious, Padfoot. You want to ask Becky?"

Sirius considered for a few moments. "Why don't you ask her yourself? She'll be here any sec -" He stopped in mid-sentence when his doorbell rang. "Speaking of the devil!" He leaped to his feet and disappeared into the hall. Seconds later, he returned to the kitchen with a female companion in tow. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and with her face almost devoid of make-up, she looked closer to twenty than her actual age of thirty.

Remus rose from his seat. "Hi, Becky. It has been a long time."

Becky licked her lips nervously, seemingly unsure of how to reply.

"Hey, quit the formalities, you two! Sit down," Sirius ordered and set about making tea for her.

"How have you been?" Remus asked.

"Fine, thank you."

Sirius decided to start the conversation going. "Remus and I are going to Hogwarts tomorrow. He was just asking me if you would like to come along."

"Hogwarts?" Becky repeated blankly before she remembered something from Daily Prophet's article on Peter's capture. "You're a professor at Hogwarts now, right?" She directed the question at Remus.

"That's right. I'm teaching Defence Against Dark Arts."

"That's great. You've always been good in that subject," she said sincerely.

"So you want to come along tomorrow?"

"You'll have lessons to conduct. Won't we be a hindrance?"

It suddenly struck Remus that Becky had definitely changed. Imposing herself on others was something she used to do a lot of back in their school days. "That's not a problem. I don't have back-to-back lessons tomorrow anyway. And Sirius probably wants to spend some time with Harry. You can take the chance to catch up with the boy too."

"He's the splitting image of James," Sirius added proudly. "And he has the true courage of a Gryffindor."

Becky looked away. She was not sure she wanted to meet Harry.

"You'll come, right?" Sirius urged. "We'll get to meet Remus' new girlfriend too." He pretended he did not see the dirty look from his werewolf friend.

"Let me think about it."

The ex-convict looked surprised. Shrugging, he excused himself to take a bath, and left his two guests alone.

"You must be really surprised to see me," Becky remarked, eyeing Remus.

"I was surprised when Sirius told me you've moved into the same neighbourhood. I'm happy to see you again, Becky."

"You are?" she asked incredulously.

"Sure I am.  Sometimes I wondered how you're doing. I'm glad to see you're alright."

She leaned forward, placing her elbows onto the table. "Don't you hate me? I'm a Pettigrew."

"You know I don't. I'm not that unreasonable! Like Sirius, I see no point in blaming you for something Peter did. Anyway, it couldn't have been easy for you either. You worshipped Sirius and just when your relationship was finally going somewhere, all that had to happen."

Her eyes widened. She had forgotten how perceptive he could be.  "Thanks, Remus. And I'm glad that things turn out fine for you. I'm sure you make a fantastic professor. And Sirius mentioned you have a girlfriend -"

"She teaches at Hogwarts too. Not many know about our relationship yet. Only Dumbledore and the two of you. And of course, Harry and his two close friends"

"Right." She broke into a wide grin. "I think you'd better tell Sirius this too. If he's anything like the old Sirius, he'll blurt that out in record time."

Remus rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I bet I not only have to tell Sirius, but also remind him several times at well."

Becky cleared her throat. "Did you keep in touch with Sirius all these years?"

"No." Remus looked somewhat shamefaced. "I actually believed that he was the traitor."

Becky was on the verge of voicing out her astonishment, but she managed to bite back her words. 

"I only realised my folly when I saw Peter on the –"

"On the?"

"Never mind," he shrugged. "Suffice to say that I realised Peter was alive, went to the Shrieking Shack and saw Sirius there. That's the first time I've seen him in years."

"You saw Peter on the map you guys used to have?"

"How did you know about the map?'

"I've seen it a few times. It's a grubby-looking piece of parchment but Sirius told me once that it's not an ordinary parchment and it had saved you guys from countless detentions. That was all I could get out of him, so I cornered Peter instead."

"And he told you?" Remus knew Peter would not have stood a chance against his persistent half-sister.

"Peter was reluctant to let on much either. But from whatever bits of information he unwittingly blurted out, I figured it's some sort of map that reveals the whereabouts of people in Hogwarts. I confirmed this with Sirius and he was furious with Peter for days after that. But both of them refused to show me how to work it."

"You're right. I spotted Peter on the map and it dawned upon me that how stupid I had been all these years. Actually, we gave it a name. It's the Marauder's Map."

"Marauder?" She laughed. "The four of you are menaces all right. So who has the map now?"

"Harry. It's with Harry. With the regularity the boy and his friends get into trouble, I dare say they have more use for it than Sirius and myself."  He noticed the worried force that had crept into her face. "You're not very eager to meet Harry, aren't you?"

"You're perceptive, as always." She let out a long breath and closed her eyes. "I don't look forward to meeting Harry. It's sort of complicated…I can't explain."

"You're feeling guilty towards the boy? I've told you Becky, you don't have to feel responsible for what Peter did."

Her eyes remained tightly shut. When she finally opened them again, she asked in a small voice, "Remus, I'm just wondering…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yes?"

"In the one month you're…well…with Sirius, did he –" She shook her head. "What I want to know is, had he mentioned me at all?"

"He told me about your chance encounter two days ago. Said you were in the midst of moving in then."

"And before that?"

Remus turned and looked into the direction of Sirius' bathroom, as though hoping to be rescued from the need to answer the question. This did not escape Becky's notice.

"He didn't." Her words sounded more like a statement than a query.

"It has only been a month and it's not as though I'm with him everyday." He smiled kindly. "You should ask him."

"I've already done that. Well, sort of anyway." She brightened up and added almost happily, "He did say he missed me."

Remus let out a sigh of relief and clapped his hands together. "That's settles it then."

Becky nodded. "What's Harry like? I've not seen him since his one-year-old birthday."

"He's a fine young man. He has gone through a lot for his age," he said the last part with a tinge of regret.

"Sirius seems awfully proud of him."

"He's very fond of Harry. Has always been. He's every bit the doting godfather."

"Does Harry…does he know…of course he must know. He was there when you two captured Peter."

"Does Harry know what?"

"How James and Lily died. And Peter's part in it," she said in a quiet voice.

"He does," Remus confirmed.

Before she could ask further, Sirius had sauntered into the kitchen and plonked himself onto the same chair next to her. "So have you decided if you want to join me tomorrow? It'll be fun."

"I suppose so," she agreed slowly.

"It's decided then! I'll meet you in front of your house at nine in the morning."

Becky nodded reluctantly, hoping all will turn out well.

***

**love-that-dog**: Thanks, Sirius & love-that-dog for being so understanding! :)

**ANNE( v )79**: Glad you liked the previous chapter. And I'm trying to update FBOFW this week.

**Summerkins**: Yes, Sirius knows that she loves him, but the feeling may not be mutual!

**BlackNight**: Yay! New reviewer! Sorry to have taken so long! Hope you're still with me. :)

**padfoot-dreamer**: I'm definitely finishing this fic!

**in love with love**: *blushes* There are many other stories better than SFTP, but your review really made my day!

**OutofAzkaban**: This fic will be a short one - probably about ten chapters. When are you going to update TBYA?!

**Annoriel**: Yup, my day became a little brighter after I read you review. Hope you'll like this chapter too. 

**AnimegirlH**: Hmm...I'm not sure if Sirius likes her...

**Tanglise**: You're right to say that the last chapter was a 'leading-up-to' chapter. Half the action will take place in the remaining 3-4 chapters.

**Katani Petitedra**: Thanks :) There's nothing I hate more than to be told my story ideas are stale. Thankfully, that has not happened yet. 

**potts**: Hope that you'll not blame me for taking so long this time. :)

**elvesmagic010**: Glad to know that you're reading this story too! :) I've reviewed your fic.


	7. It Never Pays To Lie

**It Never Pays To Lie**

Becky's return to Hogwarts got off at a fairly good start, with a visit to Remus' office. She chatted with Sirius and Remus about the old times for almost an hour. By the time Sirius brought her to meet Albus Dumbledore, she had begun to miss her Hogwarts days.

Her mood soon did an about-turn when the inevitable happened.

"Let's go to the Gryffindor Tower," Sirius told her as they were leaving the headmaster's office.

"Why don't we return to Remus' office and check if Naomi is there?"

"Remus said she can only meet us at eleven," he reminded her before firmly leading her into the direction of the Gryffindor Tower.

* 

"You know the password?" Becky widened her eyes in surprise when the Fat Lady grudgingly allowed them entry. ****

Sirius chuckled. "You're underestimating the resourcefulness of a Marauder."

She looked around the familiar Gryffindor common room as a wave of nostalgia hit her. Memories of her hanging out with the Marauders in the room more than a decade ago flashed across her mind. It took a while for her thoughts to return to the present and for her to become aware of the many pairs of curious eyes glued to her.

Before she could feel uneasy, she felt Sirius tug her towards a group of three teenagers. As soon as she laid eyes on them, she singled out the one she had dreaded meeting. He looked exactly like James, except for the eyes that were unquestionably Lily's.

"Harry," she breathed.

Harry looked at her in surprise, and then gave a sudden frown. "I should have known it's a piece of cake to recognise me anywhere," he said almost bitterly, fingering the scar on his forehead.

"No, no! That's not it," she said quickly, anxious to dispel any hostility he might be feeling towards her. "I recognised you because you look a lot like James."

"You know my father?" The boy looked at her with interest now. Becky could tell he was eager to find out more. She hesitated, almost regretting now that she had revealed knowing James. Questions about James would inevitably lead to questions about Peter, and her half-brother was a topic she intended to steer away from.

Without warning, she felt Sirius' hand on her back, prodding her to take a step forward. "Allow me to make the proper introductions," he said. "Harry, she's Becky Petti –"

"Pattison," Becky cut in quickly. Sirius' jaws slackened and he stared at her in shock. 

Harry did not notice anything amiss and shook her hand warmly. He then gestured to the two teenagers standing next to him. "These are my friends - Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Turning back to his godfather, he asked the first question that came to his mind. "Did you two meet at Hogwarts?"

Instead of replying, the older man frowned and looked at Becky. 

"We met at Hogwarts," she replied quickly. "He was my senior at school. So was your father." 

"So you must know Professor Lupin too?" Harry stopped short of mentioning Peter.

"Yes, she knows all of us," Sirius interjected a little impatiently. "It was difficult not to notice us back then."

"Of course," she muttered as she felt Sirius' quiet anger brewing.

"You'd better get going now if you don't want to be late for your lesson. We'll catch up with you later," Sirius told the teenagers before he grabbed Becky by her arm and almost dragged her out of the portrait hole.

As soon as they were a considerable distance away from the Gryffindor Tower, Sirius blew his top. "What's all that about back there?"

She shifted her feet uncomfortably.

"Pattison indeed!" 

"I'm sorry. I – I freaked out and I said the first thing I thought of."

"Why did you lie to him? What's wrong with –" 

She was on the verge of tears. "Don't you see, Sirius? If he knows that I'm a Pettigrew, he'll resent me and maybe he'll not want you to ever see me again."

"That's ridiculous!"

"I told you I bloody freaked out! I can tell you're terribly fond of him, and if he asks you to stay away from me, you'll probably agree."

"So you're making me lie to the boy just because you're freaking out?"

"Sirius –"

"You don't know Harry. You should really give him more credit than that." He sounded weary now. "Harry was the one who stopped Remus and I from killing Peter back in the Shrieking Shack. If it weren't for him, Remus would be in Azkaban now and I would be the one getting the goodbye kiss from dementors. He's a mature and sensible kid. I bet my wand that Harry will not mind your relationship with Peter."

"Really?"

"Positive."

She chewed her bottom lip as she considered his words. Finally, she came to a decision. "I'll apologise to Harry and tell him the truth," she said determinedly.

He broke into a stiff smile. "Good. I don't fancy lying to my godson."

"Sorry."

"No harm done…yet. We'll look for Harry later."

She shook her head grimly. "I'll look for him _now_. It's better to clear up my own mess as soon as I can."

"I'll go with you," he offered.

"There's no need to drag you into this. I'll meet you in Remus' office, okay?"

"You sure about this?"

"Positive." 

*

In the meantime, Harry, Ron and Hermione had left the Gryffindor Tower and were making their way to Potions.

"Do you think this Becky Pattison is Sirius' girlfriend?" asked Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? Why else would he bring her to meet Harry?"

"Just because he did that, it doesn't mean that she's his girlfriend." Ron pointed out. "Don't forget that Sirius was a prisoner and then an escaped convict for the past twelve years. Unless, of course, he met and started dating her all in the past month."

"That's not impossible," Hermione quipped.

"Yes, but that hardly sounds like Sirius," Harry mused. "I believe he's a lot more cautious about relationships than that. Especially since he landed in Azbakan because of a friend's betrayal. It'll take time for him to trust someone. Sirius only let down his guard with Professor Lupin very recently, and only after those long late-night chats." He paused for a moment. "But Sirius was very secretive about Becky. He just told me to be present in the common room immediately after breakfast.  He didn't mention he would bring someone with him."

Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "They met in Hogwarts, so there's a chance that Becky was more than a schoolmate. Maybe Sirius was dating her then."

"Or it needn't be Sirius. Maybe she was dating Professor Lupin or Harry's father." Ron took a look at Harry's disgusted expression and backtracked. "Sorry, maybe not Harry's dad. But definitely maybe Professor Lupin or even Peter Pettigrew."

Hermione threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "It can't be Wormtail. Sirius also killed him at the Shrieking Shack! Why on earth would he bring Wormtail's old girlfriend around the school?"  

"Professor Lupin then?"

"If that's the case, I don't think Sirius would have brought her here either since Professor Carter may get the wrong idea!" Hermione said slowly, as though she was explaining a simple fact to a dull person. "Why don't we just ask Sirius instead of speculating?"

"I guess we can do that," Harry said with a little hesitation. His relationship with his godfather was still very new and there was so much he had yet to discover about his new guardian.

Just as they were approaching their Potions classroom, Harry heard his name being called.

"Harry, wait up!"

The trio turned and came face-to-face with the woman whom had been the topic of their discussion.

"Hi Becky," Harry greeted uneasily, wondering what was behind her unmistakable eagerness to speak to him.

Becky looked even more uncomfortable than the boy. "Can you spare a minute? I need to talk to you alone."

Ron and Hermione got the hint immediately and excused themselves.

"I have to get to Potions," Harry said as he watched his friends disappear into the dungeon.

"Don't worry. Professor Gilbert will not bite. If you're late, I'll speak to –"

"Who's Professor Gilbert?"

"Your Potions professor, of course!" She observed his bewildered expression. "Isn't he your professor?"

Harry shook his head. "It's Professor Snape."

"Professor Snape?" She only knew one person by that name. "You can't be referring to Severus Snape?"

Harry was about to reply when he spotted the Potions Master barely three feet behind Becky. Snape had stopped dead in his tracks and stared at them.  Harry had never seen him look so furious. He almost expected smoke to come out of the professor's ears.

"Harry, what –" Becky turned around and the question died in her throat instantly. "Severus? You - it's really you?" 

Harry could never forget the expression on Snape's face. There was a mixture of pain, shame, and hatred all at once. But Snape quickly recovered and put on his trademark sneer. 

"How kind of you to visit your old school, Miss Pettigrew," he said coldly, sounding almost bored although his burning eyes revealed otherwise.

"Sir, you've addressed her by the wrong name." Harry couldn't help himself from correcting the professor.  _Snape must really be obsessed with the Marauders_, he thought_._

"Wrong name, Mr Potter?" Snape looked confused for a moment before assuming a knowing smirk. "And may I ask what do you think her name is?"

"Severus, that's not necessary." Becky cut in anxiously.

"I'm asking Mr Potter," came the cold voice once again.

Harry lifted his chin defiantly. "She's Becky Pattison, of course." 

"Becky Pattison indeed!" Snape gave a mirthless laugh, before turning to Becky. "Have you married a Pattison or have you denounced your own family name?"

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came.

"You're a fool as always, Potter. This woman is no Pattison. In fact, she's the sister of a certain Pettigrew you happened to have a hand in arresting a month ago."  

Harry's emerald eyes widened with shock. "But Sirius…it can't be…who are you?" He directed the last words at Becky.

She looked worried, lines etching across her forehead. "He's right, Harry. I'm a Pettigrew."

"But you said –"

"I lied. That's what I came to tell you."

The boy took a step backward. "Why didn't you say so when we were introduced?"

"I'm sorry. I –"

But Harry had dashed off, not wanting to hear her explanation. 

Becky took a deep breath before turning to Snape with an angry glare. "What did you do that for? Why didn't you let me break the news to him?"

He returned her glare with one of his own. "You should never have returned." 

*

**Summerkins**: Naomi will make her appearance in the next chapter, and you'll find out in either chapter 9 or 10 if Sirius really likes her. 

**BlackNight**: Thanks for being so understanding! Updates should be faster now, since I've put my other two stories on hold to complete this fic!

**funky*superstar**: Am I really your fav author in the world of fanfiction?! You've made me so happy that I want to scream! Er…on second thoughts, I'd better not scream. I must be nice and spare everyone the trauma.

**elvesmagic010**: Harry knows the truth now. OOPS!

**Snuffles2984**: Thanks! :) Sorry for taking so long. 

**Padfoot-dreamer**: I've updated all three of my stories, and where are you?! I miss you…hurry up and review my fics and update yours! ;)

*

Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this fic. I'm sorry for not updating sooner.  But the good news is, I've already put my other two stories on hold to complete SFTP, so updates should be much faster now. You'll meet Naomi in the next chapter and find out if Sirius can make Harry trust Becky again. So, PLEASE be nice and click the review button now! I promise to upload the new chapter when I hit 10 reviews.

*


	8. Naomi Carter

**Naomi Carter **

Sirius glanced at Remus' old clock for the umpteenth time. "Is she coming?"

Remus looked sheepish. "She must have ended her lesson late again."

"Again?" Sirius cocked a brow. "You sounded as though she makes a habit out of it."

"Naomi is extremely…er…passionate about her lessons. You'll know what I mean later. Anyway, didn't you say Becky was coming ten minutes ago? Where's she? Don't tell me she's lost again. Maybe the staircases are resuming their old hobby of making fun of her?" ****

"I brought her to meet Harry."

Remus grinned. "I can just picture her telling him how badly we behaved back in the good old days."

"I wished that happened." Sirius sighed. "That silly girl actually told Harry she's Becky _Pattison_."

"Pattison?" Remus frowned. "So she tried to hide the fact that she's related to Peter?"

Sirius nodded.

"You can hardly blame her. She's terrified that Harry will resent her."

"How do you know that?"

"She told me. Yesterday, at your place." Remus stood up and stuffed both hands into his pockets. "So did you correct her then and there?"

"Nah, I was too shocked to do anything then!" Sirius leaned back into the chair. "I just had a talk with her and she decided to tell Harry the truth."

Before Remus could comment, there was a huge bang on his door, followed by a loud thud. He immediately dashed to the door and yanked it open.

"What was that?" Sirius' curiosity got the better of him and he went to join his friend. His jaw fell apart in surprise when he saw what Remus was staring at.

Squatted on the ground across the doorway was a young woman in a muggle outfit – blue jeans and a sleeveless hot pink figure-hugging top. Her curly strawberry-blonde hair was, at the moment, in a tousled mess. She looked up at Remus and pouted. "Are you going to stand there and gawk, or are you helping me up?" She raised both hands and Remus obliged, pulling her to her feet.

It was then when Sirius noticed two things - his friend's face was turning blue from an obvious effort not to burst out laughing, and the woman had peculiar-looking shoes. Her footwear looked thick and stiff and instead of the usual soles, it had wheels. He wondered if that was some recent magical invention. _Perhaps a pair of those could make wizards fly, in place of broomsticks?_ His next fleeting thought was hoping that this strange tool would not catch on. Afterall, Quidditch would hardly be as exciting without broomsticks.

Sirius' thoughts were abruptly brought back to the present when he felt someone grasp his right hand and give it a firm shake.

"So you're Sirius Black! I've heard so much about you and I can't tell you enough how happy I am to meet you at last!" The young woman was grinning at him, from ear to ear.

Remus chuckled softly beside her.

Sirius' eyes darted back to his friend and noticed that he was keeping a firm hold on her arm. _Is there something wrong with her legs? _

"Sirius, this is Naomi Carter. I see Naomi has already recognised –"

"Of course!" She had withdrawn her hand and was holding onto Remus for support now. "How can I not recognise Sirius Black! I used to watch him on TV everyday!"

Sirius merely blinked once, before continuing to stare at her.

Remus, noticing his friend's confusion, suggested that they be seated before getting better acquainted.

Again, Sirius could not help but note that Remus was patiently supporting Naomi's arm to lead her to the couch. _So there's indeed something wrong with her legs, _he concluded.

Naomi let out a breath of relief as soon as she sat down. To Sirius' amazement, she began to remove her strange footwear.

"What –" He stopped in mid-sentence, unsure of how to continue.

She noticed him staring at her shoes and gave a delighted squeal. "Do you like them? They're cool! Want to have a go? I'm sure Remus can expand them to your size!"

"What are those?" Sirius finally managed to bring himself to ask.

"Rollerskates," she said simply. "Haven't you seen them before?" Then she gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. "I'm…oh no…I'm sorry…sorry," she sputtered. "I forgot you were…"

"That's alright, sweetheart," Remus cut in smoothly. "Sirius would not have seen these anyway. He's not fond of venturing out to the muggle world."

Sirius watched Naomi wriggle her toes and felt a wave of relief. Her feet looked normal enough.

"Would you like to have a go?" she repeated her offer. "They're really fun. With these skates, you can explore the whole of Hogwarts in just minutes!" She enthusiastically began to explain to Sirius how they worked. "Let me give you a demonstration!" she concluded excitedly.

"Oh no, you don't!" Remus grabbed the skates from her. "I'm not terribly keen on the idea of you crashing all over my office again. My bookshelves are newly repaired."

"Who says I'll crash? I've already gotten the hang of rollerskating!"

Remus folded his arms across his chest and looked amused. "Then explain the sight outside my office five minutes ago."

Her cheeks coloured. "That was an accident! I was late so I was rushing here as fast as I could and I simply didn't brake in time!"

"So you crashed right into Remus' door," Sirius quipped with a playful grin. Remus had chosen a rather…interesting girlfriend.

She feigned an injured look. "I'll practice in my own room then."

"Thank Merlin for small mercies!" Remus exclaimed.

Naomi good-naturedly jabbed his elbow. Then, she leaned closer to him and made herself comfortable. "So, Sirius! Did Remus tell you I'm a big fan of yours?"

"She used to watch you on muggle television, and has been bugging me for the past month to repeat the story of your great escape," Remus explained as he threw an arm over Naomi's shoulder.

She chewed her lower lip and glanced at Sirius with a slightly worried look. "You don't mind, do you? I mean…you'll probably not want to be reminded of _that_ time and here I am, going on and on about that. I just want you to know that I think you're a big hero and I'm totally in awe of what you did! You made history by being the first wizard to escape that damned place and best of all, you've taught that silly Ministry a lesson it'll never forget! And you know what? I actually looked forward to seeing your picture on TV! It was way better than the commercials! And each time, I would laugh out loud and curse the Ministry for their stupidity."

"Don't worry, that's fine with me. That part of my life is over anyway," Sirius assured her. Although he was not keen to relive memories of those dark years, there was something in Naomi's manner that added a heroic feel to his past. "But you mustn't rave too much about me, or dear Remus here will get jealous!"

Remus smiled, while Naomi burst out laughing.

"He'll not feel threatened," she gave Remus' hand a loving pat. "You may be cool and all, but there's something he is that you're not."

"Oh really?" Sirius raised both eyebrows. "And may I ask what that is?"

"He's a werewolf," Naomi replied matter-of-factly.

Sirius drew in a sharp breath and shot Remus a questioning look. The latter merely shrugged, and seemed completely unruffled.

"Most people think that's a curse," she continued, dropping her voice to a mere whisper, as though she was sharing a secret. "But I don't. Remus' identity makes him special. It has moulded him into the sensitive, loving man that he is today. I'll not change a single thing about him. What happens to him once a month only makes me love him more."

Remus hugged her closer to him, a wry smile on his lips.

Suddenly, without warning, she slapped a hand against her forehead. "Damn it!"

Sirius almost jumped. "What?"

"I forgot! I meant to bring along my camera! Oh, how could I? I've been reminding myself every hour since yesterday!"

Sirius stared at her, trying to figure out if she was trying to pull a trick on him. But she seemed genuinely distressed. Either that or she was a good actress.

"Would you wait here for a while? You're not leaving soon, are you?" She reached out and grabbed Sirius' hand. "Can you give me five minutes? I'll go fetch my camera."

His jaw fell apart for the second time. "Camera?" he echoed blankly, unsure of what else to say. His eyes went to Remus' for help.

"Why don't I summon it here?" the werewolf offered.

"No way!" she retorted hotly. "What if it knocks into a wall or something along the way? That'll spoil my camera!" She lowered her voice and grinned. "I'll be right back. Make sure he's still here when I get back!" With that, she practically dashed out of Remus' office, still barefooted.

There was a brief moment of silence after Naomi's departure. Then, Sirius cleared his throat. "You don't have a camera she can borrow? And heck, what does she need one for?"

"I do have an old camera, but she prefers her muggle one. Said moving pictures are freaky." Remus gave a lopsided grin. "And oh, she probably wants to take a picture with you."

"Whatever for?" Sirius looked almost apprehensive.

"She saw you on TV, and became your fan," Remus replied matter-of-factly. "She may ask you for your autograph next."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. Then, he tried to think of something nice to say. "She seems…erm… intriguing."

The werewolf chuckled. "That's Naomi for you. Did she surprise you?"

"I can tell she absolutely adores you. And she doesn't seem to mind...you know…_that._"

"Naomi joined the Hogswarts staff a year ago, the same time I did. We eventually got closer and I was deciding when I should let her know about my lycanthropy. It wasn't an easy decision." He paused, letting out a weary breath. "I was so sure that it would mean the end of whatever relationship there might be between us. But finally, I decided to come clean and I told her." He allowed a small smile to reach his lips. "Not only was she not angry with me for hiding my…condition, but she was almost pleased that she could date a werewolf!"

Sirius frowned. "That doesn't sound right."

"I know what you mean. That was my initial reaction too. I wondered if she's just infatuated with the fact that I'm a werewolf. She watches a lot of muggle television and the shows tend to romanticise werewolves." Seeing the surprised look on Sirius' face, he sheepishly explained, "I spent most of the Christmas break watching muggle TV with her."

"Anyway," he continued. "At first, she was indeed romanticising and I had serious doubts about our relationship. So I did something very cruel." He paused. "I persuaded Dumbledore to bring her to the Shrieking Shack. She watched my entire transformation through the window. But of course, Dumbledore made all the necessary precautions to ensure that they would be safe from me, and brought her away before I could cause her any harm."

Sirius winced, remembering the countless times he had seen the young Remus undergo the painful monthly transformations. "How did she react?"

"Dumbledore told me she was in terrible shock at first. Then she broke down and cried her heart out." Remus stood up and walked over to the window. "The following afternoon, she came looking for me, and she told me she was sorry. She said she was sorry for not knowing what being a werewolf really meant. And she was sorry that I have to undergo the ordeal every month and there was nothing she could do to make it easier."

Sirius waited for him to carry on.

"She also told me she loves me and that she'll stand by me no matter what happens," Remus resumed in a voice that was barely audible. "And she holds true to her promise. The last two full moons, she stayed with me till I had to chase her out of the Shrieking Shack at the very last minute. And each time, when I came to the next morning, she was right beside me, taking care of me. Her eyes were all red and puffy. I knew she was upset and stayed up all night listening to my chilling screams, but she put up a cheerful front for me." He turned back to face Sirius. "Remembered I used to wonder if I could ever find a soul-mate like James did in Lily? I've found her."

Just then, there was a soft knock.

"I'll grin and bear with the photo-taking for your favourite lass," Sirius said as he strode to the door.

But the woman standing at the doorway was not Naomi.

The cheeky grin was wiped off Sirius' face in seconds. "What's wrong?" he asked, peering intently into Becky's teary face.

She threw herself into his arms. "He hates me, he hates me. I'm sure he hates me!"

---

**ANNE( v )79**: FBOFW will only be updated after SFTP is completed. I'll try to update SFTP sooner so that you can read the next chapter of FBOFW (Sirius' proposal!) sooner, ok? :)

**Katani Petitedra**: Snape has a reason...

**elvesmagic010**: Harry doesn't trust Becky cuz she lied to him.

**Padfoot-dreamer**: The author's alert doesn't work all the time :( We have to rely on our telepathy BlackLupin closes her eyes and tries to concentrate

**AnimegirlH**: You'll find out the reason behind Snape's nastiness in the next chapter.

**Summerkins**: Snape will be taking on a bigger role in the next few chapters of this fic. So Snape-lovers will be happy while Padfoot & Moony lovers will be pointing their wands at me soon. Oh no! screams

**potts**: You're back, you're back! I'm so happy that you're back!!!! And you're so sweet to review two chapters all at once!

**Snuffles2984**: You're absolutely right about first impressions! Becky has to pay the price for lying to Harry. So, do you like Naomi? ;)


	9. Snape's Secret

**Snape's Secret**

"Are you sure Sirius doesn't mind me coming over?" Ron asked.

"This is the third time you're asking this question. Will you let up? Of course he doesn't mind! He even said you can stay the whole summer if you want," Harry replied as he helped his friend place the chess pieces back into the case. ****

"I can't," Ron said wistfully. "Bill and Charlie are coming home, remember? Mum will not be too pleased if I stay away. Two days it'll be then." He hesitated for a while. "So you'll be seeing a lot of Becky Pettigrew over the summer?" ****

Harry shrugged. "She stays a few doors away from us after all. That can't be helped."

Ron tried to think of a proper response, but had no luck. He soon gave up and turned his attention to Hermione instead. "In case you've not noticed, school will be out for summer in two days."

"I know that," came the brief mumbled reply, as the girl continued to bury nose in _Little Known Facts About Transfiguration_.

"Exams were over long ago," Ron persisted.

She peered at him over the book. "And they'll be back before you know it. It doesn't hurt to get a head start."

Ron and Harry rolled their eyes at the same time.

"Don't think I didn't see that!" Hermione put down her book and glared at them.

"We have important stuff to discuss. Will you forget about memorising the entire book just for tonight?" asked Ron.

She grudgingly shut the book and set it beside her. "Yes?"

"We were talking about Harry and how he has to face Becky Pettigrew the entire summer."

Hermione frowned. "Hadn't you promise Sirius to give her a chance this afternoon, Harry?"

"I did," Harry admitted. Sirius had pulled him aside just after lunchtime, and talked to him about Becky.

"Did he not explain that she lied because she was afraid of your reaction, and that she realised her mistake and intended to apologise before Potions?"

"Yes."

"So what's the problem?"

Harry stared at the ground intently, trying to gather his thoughts. "I…I'm not…maybe I'm not sure I can trust her. She may only be Wormtail's half-sister, but she's a Pettigrew afterall. Don't you think the timing of her appearance is a little too coincidental?"

Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "That she came back shortly after Wormtail was caught?"

Ron widened his eyes. "You mean she's back for revenge? But Sirius and Professor Lupin seemed to trust her. They should know -"

"They trusted Wormtail too, and look what happened," she cut in. "We don't know anything for sure, Ron."

The three fell silent for several moments.

"We have to find a way to test her," Hermione said finally.

Harry nodded. "But how do we do that? It mustn't be too obvious or Sirius will get mad at us."

A slow smile spread across her face. "We can use Veritaserum."

"Great!" Ron clapped his hands together, then looked around the common room sneakily to make sure no one was listening. "Are we going to steal the ingredients from Snape again?"

"No, we don't have time to brew it ourselves." She continued to smile mysteriously. "We can take a vial from Snape."

The boys stared at her in amazement. Then, Harry shook his head. "We're really bad influence, aren't we, Ron?"

"Yeah," the redhead agreed, mouth twitching. "Who'd have thought the good Miss Granger will plot about stealing from a professor?"

"This is not the first time we're doing that anyway," Hermione said coolly. "But this time, I'll distract him while you two go into his office."

Ron groaned. "I knew there's a catch somewhere."

She ignored him, took up her book and stood up. "Now that we have the solution, please excuse me while I catch up on my reading." With that, she made for the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

--

Two days later, the three friends were onboard the Hogwarts train, on their way back to their families.

There were butterflies in Harry's stomach. He tightened his grip on his trunk, as he thought of a certain vial he had carefully packed inside. They had come up with a plan for Harry to extract a confession from Becky, and he hoped fervently that it would work smoothly.

As the Hogwarts train arrived at Platform 9¾, Harry caught sight of Sirius, who was there to fetch him. His resolution was strengthened as he told himself that he would never allow anyone to hurt or betray his godfather again.

--

Becky was working herself into a state of panic. She knew Sirius had gone to pick up Harry from the train station hours ago. Despite his reassurance, she was apprehensive about meeting the boy again. Had he really forgiven her? Could she earn his trust again? Would Sirius stop seeing her if she could not get along with his godson?

She desperately needed to talk to someone. Perhaps one of her friends in France? No, they won't understand. They had not met Sirius and they would never be able to fully comprehend how much he meant to her. Remus? He would understand. But no, he must be with Naomi now. They mentioned something about visiting her parents. Becky did not know where to find him, neither did she want to intrude.

She glanced distractedly around her hall, unable to find a remedy to ease her troubled state of mind. Finally, she decided that a walk outside might do the trick.

She heard an unmistakable 'pop' just as she stepped out of her house, and watched with surprise as a man dressed in black robes hesitated before he slowly approached her.

"Severus?"

He stopped in front of her with a pained look on his face, as though he would rather be elsewhere.

She remembered what he had told Harry and injected some coldness into her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Snape looked around uneasily. "Shall we talk inside?" Not waiting for her reply, he brushed past her and entered her home.

_The nerve of this man! _She fumed and stormed into the house after him. "What do you want?"

He did not meet her eyes, and shifted his feet. "I came to apologise."

"Apologise?" she exclaimed, half in sarcasm. "My ears must be playing tricks on me!"

"There has never been any bad blood between us and you know it." His steely eyes were observing her now.

"That's what I thought until you had to cause a misunderstanding between Harry and I!"

"That was no misunderstanding," he pointed out calmly. "You lied to him."

She coloured.

"What's it about that ex-convict that makes you resort to pretences and lies?"

Her head jerked upwards at his unexpected comment. She studied her face, trying to read his hidden motive. But all his expression told her was that he really wanted an answer.

"That's not true," she muttered finally.

"Then explain what –" His words were interrupted by the doorbell. "You're expecting someone?" he regarded her coldly.

Becky shook her head slowly as she went to let in her visitor. She hoped that it was not Sirius. Sirius and Snape hated one another, and she was not sure she could handle another one of their arguments now.

She gasped when she saw the person standing outside her door. "Har – Harry."

The boy gave a stiff smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she echoed, momentarily at a loss for words.

Harry held out a bottle of pale yellow liquid. "I made some lemonade, and thought you may like to try it."

"Lemonade?"

"Yeah," he replied uneasily. "This drink has not caught on in Britain but it's very popular in other parts of the world. The Dursleys made me concoct this once in a while."

"Thanks, Harry," she said as he handed the bottle to her.

He let out a breath of relief. "You want to try it now?"

"Sure," she smiled. Then she remembered her other visitor. "Erm…maybe later. I'll try it later and then drop by your place to tell you my verdict?"

Harry frowned. That was not the way the plan was supposed to work. He had to be present when she tasted the lemonade. The Veritaserum, already diluted in the drink, would only last a couple of minutes.

Before he could ask her to take a sip now, a figure surfaced behind her. Harry stared in disbelief as he came face-to-face with his Potions professor.

"Potter," Snape spat, his trademark sneer firmly in place.

"Sir. I…I did not…not expect to…to see you here," the boy stammered.

"Of course not." Snape leaned against the doorway and eyed him coldly.

Harry did not want to leave, not before his mission was completed. But Snape did not seem to be leaving anytime soon. Besides, what was he doing in her house? Snape hated Sirius! Was Becky on his side, spying on Sirius and helping the Potions Master get back at Sirius?

Harry finally decided that it was a lost cause. "I'll make a move," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait, Harry!" Becky went after him. "Look, I'm sorry. This is not a good time. But I promise that I'll be over at your place as soon as I can, alright?"

He nodded mutely and departed with a deep frown on his face.

"Seems like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time again?" Snape smirked as Becky went past him into her house.

"Why don't you just tell me your real motive for being here and then get the hell out of here?" she snapped angrily.

His face turned cold and hard. "I told you. I came to apologise."

"Just that?" She did not look convinced at all. "In that case, you'd done what you wanted to do. Perhaps you should take your leave now?"

"So that you can go running after your previous Potter boy and his guardian?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Get off my back."

He was visibly fuming now. "What's the matter with you, Rebecca? Are you getting all upset and throwing a childish tantrum because I foiled your chance to bond with the kid?"

"You –" She stopped in mid-sentence, unable to justify her increasing exasperation. "What are you apologising for anyway?"

"You know the answer."

"No, I don't."

"For exposing your lie."

She flinched.

"And I believe you owe me an apology too."

"Me? Whatever for?"

"For the trick you pulled on me years ago."

"What trick? I don't remember –"

"Does the Leaky Cauldron ring a bell?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she said, a confused frown marring her face.

"Hadn't you gained any sense after all these years? Is Black really worth the effort?" He paused, looking weary. "You have anything to drink in here?" he muttered.

Without thinking, she handed him the bottle she was holding. He downed the entire bottle of lemonade into his mouth quickly, as though he was extremely thirsty.

"Great, this is just great." She bit down her lower lip. "Now that you've finished the drink, I'd have to cook up another lie to Harry."

"You handed the drink to me."

"Yeah, it's all my fault. I should have known better," she said wryly. It was then when she noticed that his eyes were beginning to glaze over.

"I should go," Snape said abruptly. He shook his head roughly, as though he was trying to regain focus. But it was clear that he was fighting a losing battle.

"Are you alright?" She grew alarmed, momentarily forgetting her earlier hostility. "Perhaps you should take a seat." She began to lead him to the couch, but he pulled away from her grasp.

"I've leaving," he roared, as he hurried to the door with much urgency.

"You don't look well. Much as I don't like you here, I'd hate it even more if someone leaves my home and falls into a dead faint." She quickly moved and stood between him and the exit. "And before you leave, why don't you just confess your real motive for being here? It can't be as simple as to apologise?"

Snape's expression changed again. His face grew slack, and his eyes lost their focus completely. "I wanted to see you," he replied in a monotonous voice.

It took her a few seconds to recover. "Stop your lies. Now, let's try this again shall we? Why have you come?"

"You were upset that day. I had to come to make sure you're alright." Again, his voice sounded flat.

She stared at him. "I don't know what you're up to, Severus. And I'm not sure I care anymore." She took in a deep breath and let it out. "I can't find anyone to talk to, so you might have to do. I don't know what to do or even think anymore. I'm not sure if Sirius has feelings for me. And even if he does, I'm not sure if that's enough. If we don't get the blessings of James' son, that may be the end for us. You know what I mean? This is all so frustrating! Have you ever fallen in love? I think not…I don't know why I'm telling you all these! I must be really desperate for a listener. I bet you'd not loved anyone, and probably never will."

His eyelids flickered. "You're wrong."

She was speechless for a moment. _He'__s certainly saying a lot of unexpected things today, _she thought. "You'd ever loved someone? Really?"

"Yes."

"Then what happened?"

"Nothing."

"You mean you were never together?'

"No."

"Does she know? About your feelings towards her?"

"No. I don't suppose so."

"How and when did the two of you meet?" She was really getting curious now.

"We were both schooling at Hogwarts."

She looked at the Potions Master in surprise. "Do I know her?"

"Yes."

"Who's she, if I may ask?"

"You."

"Excuse me?"

His brows furrowed, as though he didn't know how to respond to her comment.

"You're kidding, right? It can't be me. Who is she?"

"Rebecca Pettigrew."

---

**Katani Petitedra**: Glad you liked Naomi. You know Snape's reason now. :) And don't worry, you're never annoying!

**ANNE( v )79**: YAY! Sirius' fans must stick together!

**Summerkins**: As long as you like Snape, I don't think what's to come will upset you. Phew!

**Snuffles2984**: She eats…1, 2, 3…10…20…I lost count. Suffice to say that she's on a sugar overdose! LOL

**funkysuperstar**: I did not receive a review from you for chapter 8. I've checked the review page and it's not there either…

**fra**: er…I may do something that'll upset you in the next few chapters. Will you forgive me in advance? looks pitiful

**elvesmagic010**: I'll try to read & review your new chapters soon…I'm swamped at work and hardly have time to breathe these days! :(

**potts**: WELCOME BACK!!! :) :) :) I missed you lots!

**Padfoot-Dreamer**: ff.net loves to play tricks on the two of us! I'll try to review your new chapter soon.

---

You can download a 10-minute clip of the making of the third Harry Potter movie online. If any of you want the link, drop me an email or say so in your review and I'll send it to you! :)

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	10. Dumbledore's Offer And Snape's Denial

**Dumbledore's Offer And Snape's Denial**

"Becky!" Sirius called for the third time and her head snapped towards him. "I'm not sure where your thoughts are, but they sure ain't here."

"Sorry," Becky said weakly as she massaged her temples.

"Headache?"

She shook her head and continued to frown thoughtfully as though she was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.

"Anything I can do?" he asked.

"Get me some tea?"

"Certainly," Sirius grinned and left to perform the task.

Harry, who had been sitting quietly nearby, leaned closer to Becky. "Have you tried the lemonade?" he asked in a low voice.

She looked guiltily at him.

"No?"

"I meant to try it. I really did! But I handed the bottle to Severus by mistake and he finished it up."

The boy jumped out of his seat, startled. "He drank the entire bottle?"

She squirmed and looked extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. That was all she could say. She was unable to meet his eyes now.

"He…he liked it?"

Her eyes flew to meet his emerald ones. She had expected the boy to give her the cold shoulder or even shout at her. The last thing she expected was this query.

Harry must have sensed her surprise as his next question was, "Did Professor Snape…erm…did he…well…act differently?"

"Act differently? What are you –" Her thoughts returned to what Snape had told her, and she wondered if her confused feelings were written all over her face. "What makes you think he'd act differently?"

Harry fidgeted, then sat down on the edge of the seat. "What I meant was…Snape hates me. If he knew the drink was made by me, he would –"

"Oh no, he was taken ill suddenly and had to leave." She decided to take the easy way out.

He looked disappointed and then a sudden thought crossed his mind and he eyed Becky suspiciously. "Why was Professor Snape there anyway? Is he a friend of yours?"

She saw her chance to set things right between them. "Severus came to apologise to me."

When Harry widened his eyes in disbelief, she quickly added, "He said he was sorry for what happened at Hogwarts. But if there's someone who deserves an apology, it's you. I owe you that, Harry, and I apologise. I've no idea what got into me. It was terribly wrong of me not to be honest with you. I should have admitted upfront that I'm a Pettigrew."

"Sirius said you lied because of him," he said in a quiet voice.

"That's true." She shook her head in self-disgust. "But that's no excuse for what I did. I was afraid you might stop him from seeing me."

Harry stared at the hands folded on his lap for several long moments. Finally, he asked softly, "Do you really like Sirius?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

"He told me you're only Wormtail's half-sister and that you were never close to him."

"Do you believe that?"

"I want what's best for Sirius." He avoided answering the question directly.

"So do I, Harry. Believe me, so do I."

"Are the two of you a couple now?"

"We'd lost touch all these years and only met up again barely a week ago."

"Were you two a couple back then?"

She sighed. "I wish I can answer you, Harry. The truth is, I don't even know the answer myself. We sort of dated, but not exclusively. There were too many girls vying for his attention."

Harry watched her expression closely and knew in that instant he had no fears that she might harm Sirius. It was obvious that his godfather meant a lot to her. He allowed a slight smile to reach his lips. "You kept his wand after all these years. That's cool."

"I thought I'd never see him again. I kept that as a memento. It was like keeping a part of him with me. Do you know what I mean?"

Harry wanted to ask more, but Sirius returned to the hall and there was no more chance to do so.

--

Over the next few weeks, Sirius spent most of his time with Harry, keeping himself occupied with getting to know the boy better. But in the nights, he could no longer fool himself. Part of the conversation he had overheard between Harry and Becky flashed across his mind repeatedly, and he spent many restless nights sorting out his own thoughts. He had taken pains to avoid her. Even when they met, he made sure they were never alone. As the summer break drew to its end, he became more certain of what he really wanted. Unfortunately, the conclusion was not one he was particularly proud of. He had let down many people in the past – James, Remus, Lily, Harry, Becky and many more. And the worst part of it was, he knew he had no choice but to deal another blow to one of them again.

--

In the meantime, Becky was getting increasingly frustrated. Just as her efforts of establishing some form of friendly relationship with Harry were paying off slowly but surely, she sensed that Sirius was growing more and more distant. She had confronted him in one of the very rare moments they were out of earshot of the rest. But Sirius had been evasive, merely telling her that he was "busy with stuff".

In the last week of August, Becky received an owl from Dumbledore, asking her to meet him at Hogwarts. His letter directed her to go to Hagrid at the hut so that half-giant could bring her to his office.

She noted that there was no mention of an appointed date and time. _It's just like Dumbledore to do something infuriating like that, always making me feel unsettled_, she thought. His all-knowing manner gave her the creeps. It was as though he could see through her mind and read her thoughts. She had no doubt the headmaster knew she would be there, in spite of his lack of information in his owl.

So the next morning, Becky found herself quietly following behind Hagrid as he led her to Dumbledore's office.

The headmaster smiled kindly at her as he left his desk to greet her and dismissed Hagrid.

"What is it you needed to talk to me about?" She wasted no time with pleasantries.

"How are you, Becky?" The elderly man regarded her gravely, choosing not to answer her question at once.

"I'm surviving," she replied impatiently.

"Do you intend to stay in England? Remus said you bought a house at Willow Creek."

"So I did." Her patience was fast running out and she wished he would get to the point. "If that's what you're asking, I've no plans to return to France. Not immediately, anyway."

Dumbledore smiled, as though he had expected her declaration. "I'm going to ask you another question, and I hope you would think it through carefully before answering." He could tell he had her full attention now. "How would you like to join the side of the Light?" She opened her mouth to say something, but was intercepted by him. "As you know, Voldemort has returned. He's still weak in body, but he's capable of doing much damage to the wizarding world even in his weakened state. Two years ago, he -"

"I know. Harry told me what happened in his first two years - the Stone and the Chamber."

The headmaster smiled. "I see you're getting along fine with the boy."

"Maybe," she said quietly. Although Harry had opened up considerably towards her, it would take more to win his complete trust.

As though he could read her mind again, Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic look before saying, "Harry is a constant target, of course. But no one is really safe – wizards or muggles."

"We can only be safe when he is dead."

"Who, Becky?"

"When You-Know-Who is dead."

The elderly man regarded her for a few moments. "Is it wise to be afraid of speaking the name?"

She was reluctant to admit to her weakness. "Does the uttering of a name make much difference? Just because one can speak the name, it doesn't mean one has the courage to fight against him."

"I see your point." There was an unmistakable twinkle in the headmaster's eyes. "So may I take it that you do not lack the courage?"

"What I lack is the incentive," she replied honestly. "There's nothing to gain for me."

"Nothing?"

"I suppose it's the right thing to do. But I want to stay out of it. As much as possible."

"It may bring back unhappy memories?"

She silently cursed Dumbledore's ability to read her mind. "I'm not inclined to be part of this never-ending war again."

"Not even to protect those you care about?"

She bit down an urge to snap at him. "There's only one person who matters to me now. And I'll make sure he stays far away from this mess too."

He looked at her kindly. "I'm afraid you're too late. Sirius is one of the strongest supporter of the Light."

"You-" she started furiously. "Leave him alone!"

"Sirius volunteered, though I must confess I was about to ask him."

She felt tears sting her eyes. She could not bear to lose Sirius now…not again. "What do you need me to do?" she asked in resignation.

"Wouldn't you like more time to consider?"

She nodded numbly. "May I leave now?"

She barely registered leaving the headmaster's office. In fact, she was still lost in thoughts when she reached the Entrance Hall and sensed eyes boring into her. She looked up and gasped.

Severus stood at the great oak door, face paler than ever.

For a long moment, their eyes met and locked onto one another.

Becky was the first to break the silence. "Hello, Severus. Are you feeling better today?"

A look of alarm was present for a second, before he schooled his features into his signature detached look. "You did not take what I said that day seriously, did you?"

"What -"

"I was merely conducting an experiment," he said casually, as he brushed off some imaginary flint from the front of his robes. "You're every bit as gullible as I thought. Perhaps even more so."

She felt the frostiness in Snape's demenour - a first for her. "Severus -"

Again, he did not wait to hear what she had to say. "Let me give me a little piece of advice. Perhaps some day, you'd wise up." He turned his cold stare to her. "The Potter boy is not as innocent as he seems."

"Stop trying to poison my mind against Harry," she snapped.

"You'd do well to be wary of that boy."

"Severus," she gave a weary sigh. "I've no idea what tricks you're up to this time, and I'm not sure if I'm even interested to know. I have enough problems, and I certainly don't need you to add to them."

Before he could reply, she had pushed past him and hurried in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

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_In the next chapter, you'll find out more about what Sirius really thinks._

_Has everyone seen POA? How did Gary Oldman and David Thewlis fare? I'm watching the movie next week! _

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**ANNE( v )79**: Harry will not be paired with anyone in this fic. This fic is supposed to be short afterall…I'm trying to wrap this up so that I can continue FBOFW and ICSY. I may have something for him in FBOFW, if you really want to read about that.

**fra**: Sirius and Becky? Hmm…but Severus looks so lonely and pitiful…

**Summerkins**: I like the unexpected. That's the fun of writing fanfics!

**funkysuperstar**: Oh no…I took so long that you must have had a nasty sunburn! Sorry! The next chapter will be ready soon, but just to be sure, stay in the shade! ;)

**Padfoot-Dreamer**: Everyone's rooting for Sirius! Poor old Severus… By the way, did you manage to view the 10-min clip?

**Snuffles2984**: Thanks, thanks, thanks for your encouraging comments! You're sooooooo sweet!

**ice-cold-star**: Careful! Don't fall off the edge! You have to enjoy life now that exams are over! ;) Enjoy your school hols…and WELCOME BACK!

**elvesmagic010**: Don't worry - better late than never! You were the only one who's not surprised by Severus' secret. Well done! :)

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	11. Truth Hurts

**Truth Hurts**

Becky was back in Dumbledore's office two days later. ****

"There's something I want to know. Why did you pick me? Why me?"

The elderly man peered at her over his half-moon glasses. "You have a natural gift for magic and you will be an asset to us. "

"I don't remember ever topping any of my classes."

"I attribute that to an lack of incentive, rather than a lack of talent."

"Schoolwork was just an inconvenience to me," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I was more inclined to follow Sirius around the school." She paused and looked at him thoughtfully. "What gave you the impression that I can be more of an asset than a liability?"

"Do you remember joining Professor Candlespell's dueling club?"

She nodded. She had joined the dueling club in her sixth year. It was her first year at Hogwarts without Sirius and she had signed up for the club to fill the extra time on her hands. It was to her surprise that she gradually became interested in dueling and began to look forward to each practice.

"Professor Candlespell told me he had uncovered a rare talent in his class and I had to see it for myself." The headmaster's eyes twinkled.

"But – but I never saw you at any of our practices!" she could not help but exclaimed.

"I was there all right. In fact, I sat through several sessions and I must add that I was delighted to know another young talent had passed through the halls of Hogwarts."

"You couldn't have been there!"

"The bare eyes do not see everything," he reasoned calmly.

"You put on an invisibility cloak?"

He gave a soft laugh. "Perhaps I did, my child."

"I guess I did okay at the club. It was fun, and it gave me the confidence I never had," she confided quietly.

"Do you mind if an old man tells you what he thinks?"

"Go ahead."

"You have many strong points, but you have yet to discover them.  Perhaps you had chosen, unconsciously I think, to play them down and devote your effort to making others feel good."

She caught his hint. "You mean to say I was too obsessed with pandering to Sirius' every want and forgot about myself?"

He did not reply, but his kindly eyes told her that she was not far from the truth.

"You may be right, but I don't regret that one bit. I was the happiest when I was with, or even near him. Everything else just faded into the background. Nothing mattered more than him."

"Is it wise to base your happiness on pleasing another person?"

She sighed. "I had asked myself that, professor. I really did! I almost managed to convince myself to start living my own life back in France, but that was when news of his escape from Azkaban broke, and I knew that it was too late to pull away. It's scary how I let him dominate my life and consume my thoughts, isn't it?"

"I'm not in the position to tell you what's wrong and what's right. Only you can decide how to live your life. But remember Rebecca, it's always best to live for yourself, and not for others."

"I'll remember that, professor. Though I must add it's certainly easier said than done."

"No one ever said life is easy. You are a Gryffindor, and courage is something a Gryffindor hardly ever lacks. It takes much courage to carve out your own life."

Becky gave a hollow laugh. "That was certainly unexpected. I appreciate your advice, but that was really the last thing I would expect you to say today! Were you not trying to convince me to join in the fight for the Light by dangling Sirius as the carrot? And now you're telling me to live life for myself and not base my decisions on him?"

"I hope you can join us, but I want your consent to stem from a true desire to fight against the Dark, and not because of any particular person."

She considered for a long moment. Finally, she let on her first genuine smile to the headmaster. "Count me in."

"First, tell me what made you decide to join us."

"I came back to England ready to atone for what Peter did. Now it's a chance to repay the Pettigrews' debt.  And the fact that Sirius is part of the team makes it all the more enticing," she grinned.

"That is not all," Dumbledore commented knowingly.

She chuckled, feeling more lighthearted than she did in a long time. "I can't say I like it when you read my mind time and time again! But yes, you're right. There's another reason for me to participate now. No one has shown such confidence in me. I was so used to being known as an offspring by Charles Pettigrew's second wide, Peter's kid sister, or the girl who kept following Sirius around. Then in France, I was nothing more than an Englishwoman who happens to do reasonable tailoring jobs." She looked at him shyly. "It certainly feels good to be appreciated and told that I have some talent and will be an asset to some worthy cause."

"I hope you do know there's risk in this particular cause you've just accepted."

"I'm aware of that. I'll not let you down, professor. I'll show you that you're right to trust me."

Becky had never felt much liking towards her old headmaster. But now, she was beginning to see why this old man was so ridiculously popular. She just wished she could have known that earlier.

"Is there anything I can do right now?" she asked eagerly.

"Not immediately, my child," he said. "But I will call for a meeting soon and you will meet the rest of the Order."

"Order? You're not referring to the Order of the Phoenix again, are you?"

"You've heard about it?"

She nodded. "I overheard James mentioned it to Peter. It was an order to defeat Voldemort, and it was one that failed miserably."

"Each time a phoenix burns into ashes, it's reborn again and looks more brilliant than ever."

"I guess the same applies to us," she said uncomfortably. "It's just a name anyway. I'm sorry for overreacting. I'm looking forward to meeting the rest."

"You can meet two of them right away! I happen to know that Sirius is in Remus' office at the moment."

Her eyes lit up. To the headmaster's surprise and amusement, she gave him a quick kiss on his left cheek before dashing out of his office.

-----

In the meantime, Remus and Sirius were having a heated discussion.

"I know how she feels," Sirius snapped.

"Is the feeling mutual?"

There was a long stretch of silence. Remus was patiently waiting for a reply.

When Sirius finally met the werewolf's eyes, guilt was written all over his face. "That's something I've been asking myself repeatedly for the past few weeks," he said in a quiet voice.

"The past few weeks? You should've started thinking about that more than a decade ago!"

"It just didn't seem important then," the ex-convict sighed.

Remus knew what he meant. Then, they were young. And youth had the tendency of misleading a person into thinking that there would always be plenty of time to make life-changing decisions. But Sirius was robbed of that youth. So was Becky. They could no longer act the way they used to without wondering if their relationship would bear fruit. "You know...she asked me something that day at your place."

Sirius looked at him expectantly.

"She asked if you'd mentioned her at all, since our dramatic reunion at the Shrieking Shack."

"What did you say?"

"What else could I have said? I told her we were reunited not long enough for any heart-to-heart talk."

"Thanks."

Remus licked his lips. "So did you think about her at all in...erm…in that place?"

Sirius ran a hand over his face wearily. "Not very much."

"Meaning?"

"Maybe in the first week or so. Then all I could think of was what a fool I'd been to let that rat twirl us around his little finger. All I could think of was how I had let James down and whether Harry was alright...and what I would do to Wormtail once I lay my hands on him." He paused for breath. "I had no more happy thoughts after -"

"You did not miss her at all? That wasn't a thought dementors could take away. You never wondered how she was coping? And whether she believed your innocence?"

"No," Sirius admitted softly. "That does say something, doesn't it? If I was in love with her, I'd have..."

Remus nodded gravely. "I dare say you've arrived at your answer."

Just then, Remus noticed that the door was ajar. He moved speedily towards it, swung it wide open, looked around, and then frowned. "Did you not closed the door when you came in?"

"You were the one who let me in. Didn't you shut it?"

The two men stared at each other, as traces of worry crept into their faces. Suddenly, Sirius visibly started, stepped out into the corridor, and looked around nervously. "Did you hear that?"

Remus stared at him as though he had just sprouted another head. "Hear what? You're sure that's not part of your imagination?"

Sirius pressed a finger to his lips, indicating that Remus should remain silent. Then he listened intently for a few seconds. Finally, he let out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's what being in hiding for almost a year do to a person. It makes one really paranoid. There can't possibly be any nosy students lurking in the school at this time of the year." He laughed awkwardly, as though trying to convince himself that it was all part of his imagination.

Remus slapped the back of his friend's shoulder lightly. "You're feeling better now, buddy?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered grimly. "But I've yet to figure out my next course of action. Should I tell her?"

"If you want my honest opinion, I'd recommend that you have a talk with her soon. She has a right to know."

Sirius stared down at his shoes with unseeing eyes. Then he kicked a foot into the air, as though there was an imaginary pebble. "She's not going to like what I have to say."

"Whoever said life is a bed of roses? Frankly, Padfoot, if you're certain there can't be anything out of your relationship, the sooner you let her know, the less cruel it is for her."

"What if I'm not a hundred per cent sure myself about how I feel?"

Remus sighed. "I can't help you with that. You know yourself best."

Sirius nodded, looking troubled. The two men then said their goodbyes and Sirius walked down the corridor while Remus disappeared back into his office.

There was an eerie silence in the empty hallway. Then, a muffled sob was heard.

Becky Pettigrew, hidden behind a dozing statue, was biting her lower lip until it was bleeding. She was trying without success to stop herself from trembling, as she waited for a couple of minutes to make sure Sirius was not nowhere near. Then, she took to her heels and ran as fast as she could. Becky had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away...she had to get far away from the cursed spot outside Remus' office where she overheard the words that left a overpowering chill in her heart. 

Hot tears that were threatening to spill over were blurring her vision, but she could not stop. The only thing she could do was to escape. Suddenly, her body banged right into something hard that obstructed her way and lost her balance. She gave a yelp of surprise as a pair of arms curled around her waist.

Then, she lost consciousness and the world became black.

---

**elvesmagic010**: I like to be surprised, so I'll not influence your own portrayal of Caitlin. Just don't make her too nasty, ok? ;)

**fra**: Glad you liked the dialogue. Hmm…Sirius or Snape? Tough choice…

**Padfoot-Dreamer**: Here's "the next chapter". Hopefully it didn't disappoint you!

**ANNE( v )79**: POA started screening in Singapore on 3 June…BUT I've yet to watch it!!! :(  My busy schedule is getting into the way, and I'm also waiting for my friends to spare the time! But I'll watch it SOON! I must before I go crazy! Which country are you in? 21 July?! That's cruel!

**Summerkins**: You really liked the chapter? :)

**funkysuperstar**: I'm full of guilt right now cuz I've been neglecting my other two stories…

**Snuffles2984**: Life _should_ get less frantic in July, and updates _should _be sooner…I hope…

**ice-cold-star**: Sorry to 'hear' that you don't get to enjoy your holidays much. Hang in there! :)

**potts**: I'm always happy to hear from you. Don't stay away, okie? :)

---

_Those of you who have been following FBOFW may be happy to know that I've written most of the chapter on Sirius' proposal. If nothing goes wrong, it'll be up in two weeks' time._

_I know I had mentioned that I would not update FBOFW and ICSY until SFTP is completed. But I've grown more attached to SFTP and changed my mind about ending it soon. _

I've not started on the next chapter of SFTP yet, as I'm still considering if it should be Sirius or Snape or none of them.  So you have preferences, let me know in your reviews. But all I ask is…be nice to Snape. There must be some of you who'll root for him, right?

_Till the next chapter, ta ta!_


	12. Severus Snape And The First Order Meetin...

**Severus Snape And The First Order Meeting**

Becky felt her forehead being stroked lightly by a warm hand. Her lips curled upwards in response as she hungrily soaked in the comfort offered by the gentle touch. Abruptly, the hand left her. She struggled to open her eyes in protest but met with little success. She felt weak and her eyelids were unusually heavy. Vaguely, she registered an ache that she could neither identify nor trace. Was it her heart that was aching? Her hazy mind could not sieve out any reason to be upset, but the sense of loss was unmistakable. Before she could delve further into this topic, the hand was back again. It slid to the back of her neck lifting her head up slowly, by a few inches. She spluttered as cold liquid was poured down her throat. That was when her eyes flew open. She saw a mass of black withdraw hastily from her as the support behind her neck was gone and her head fell back into a soft pillow.****

She blinked, shook her head a couple of times and looked again. A gasp of surprise escaped her throat before she could hold it back.

"What - what are you doing here?" She stared in confusion at Snape.

He took another step back, looking mildly flustered.

She tore her eyes away from him and looked around the room. She could not tell the time of the day as there were no windows. The only source of light was from the fire that was burning in the fireplace. "Where am I?" she asked.

Snape did not answer her immediately. Instead, he looked at the door wistfully, as though he longed to escape through it. When he reluctantly returned his gaze to her, his voice was carefully devoid of any emotion. "You collapsed in the corridor and I brought you here."

"This is your quarters?"

The jerk of his head must have meant a yes. He continued to stare at her in a mixture of unease and puzzlement.

As the haziness of the mind began to clear, Becky remembered his earlier words and frowned. Did he say that she had collapsed in the corridor? She thought hard. Suddenly, she heard Remus' voice in her head. _You did not miss her at all? That wasn't a thought dementors could take away…_

Then she started sobbing.

---

Sirius stopped outside 9, Willow Creek. He stared at the house for a long time. Finally, he walked away. This was not the right time to have that dreaded talk with Becky. It would be wiser to wait until he was absolutely sure of his own feelings.

---

Snape watched as Becky drew her knees close to her chest and cried her heart out. His gaze did not leave her until he felt a sudden stabbing pain in his palm. Looking down at his right hand, he was taken aback to see that it was bleeding, and there were glass particles stuck to the raw skin. He had unknowingly clenched the empty vial so hard that it broke in his hand. He quickly waved his wand over the wound, and muttered a healing spell. He certainly did not want Becky to notice how agitated he had become.

After what seemed like eternity to Snape, her wrenching sobs subsided and she lifted her tear-streaked face. He silently cursed whoever had caused her misery and allowed his guard to be let down, just a little.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and observed her closely. "Who was it?"

She avoided his gaze.

"Am I right to assume Black is responsible?" he growled.

She did not reply, but the fresh tremble of her lips confirmed his suspicion. Against his better judgement, he could not stop himself from asking, "What did that scoundrel do this time?"

She took a deep breath as she wiped away the moisture on her wet cheeks. "He did not do anything," she replied in a quiet voice.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I assure you, Miss Pettigrew, I am no fool."

"Nothing happened. Really."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Then how do you ex -"

"You have no right to question me like this!"

"On the contrary, I believe you owe me a proper reply after all the inconveniences you'd put me through for the past hour."

She flung aside the bed covers and looked at him in frustration. "You want to know the truth? Fine! Nothing happened! Nothing, and that's the problem! There was never anything in the first place!"

"Calm down, Rebecca."

"You know something Severus? Sirius has outdone you once again." She gave a hollow laugh that made him wince. "You thought it was fun to fool me by pretending you were in love with me for a couple of days. For your information, he has broken your miserable record. He had me hanging like a fool for fifteen years. Fifteen years, Severus! Try beating that!"

"You're not saying –"

"Just like I told you, there was nothing. Zilch. Non-existent. He feels nothing for me. Never has, and most probably never will."

Snape cursed under his breath. He couldn't wait to lay his bare hands around Sirius' throat. He would squeeze hard with all his might, until every breath left the ex-convict. He was distracted from the satisfying picture in his mind when Becky suddenly tried to stand up and stumbled. He caught her arm and steadied her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Home," she mumbled as she tried to shake off his firm hold.

"You're not going anywhere in a hurry. You are staying right here until you can stand on your own two feet."

"I –"

He pushed her back onto the bed. "From what I last heard, Black is still in the castle. I reckon you'd not want to meet him anytime soon." He narrowed his eyes. "Or do you?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Good," he said, satisfied. He lifted her legs onto the bed and threw the covers over her once again. "I'll wake you when it's dark."

He started to walk away when she spoke, "why don't you go ahead and do it." It was a statement more than a query.

"What do you expect me to do?" Snape asked. She almost expected him to sneer but there was only puzzlement in his face.

"I'm sure you can't wait to gloat. Perhaps say what a silly little fool I've been? Or more likely, you'd take this chance to utter unpleasant untruths about Sirius."

For the first time that day, anger flashed in Snape's eyes and caused Becky to flinch. He leaned close to her and said very coldly and clearly, "Now I'm convinced that you're a fool. You should have learnt your lesson years ago, but you didn't. Even now, when you finally realise how little you mean to Black, you're still sticking up for him." He drew away from her and stood up. "If I bother to utter any words about Black, you can be sure they are unpleasant _truths_."

Becky searched for the words of protest. "Sirius is not that bad. It's not his fault that he doesn't –"

"Hush," Snape waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "Get some rest."

She watched as he swept out of the room. He was certainly not acting the way she had expected. What was he up to? As she drifted off to sleep, she vaguely registered that she had been wondering about Snape's peculiar behaviour instead of agonising over the conversation she had overheard outside Remus' office.

---

Sirius and Becky succeeded to avoid each other for a few days. It was not difficult since he had chosen to spend his time at Remus' office while she confined herself to her home. Too soon, they received an owl from Dumbledore and were summoned to a meeting for members of the Order of Phoenix.

Despite Remus' urging, Sirius decided that he needed more time to confirm his feelings before his inevitable confession. Becky, on the other hand, made up her mind just as she entered the Shrieking Shack, that she would act as though nothing had happened, and not give Sirius or Remus a reason to suspect that she had overheard part of their conversation.

Becky was apparently the last to arrive, since upon seeing her, Dumbledore clapped his hands together and called for everyone's attention. "It's my great pleasure to announce that we have a new member today. I trust that Rebecca Pettigrew is not a stranger to some of you. As for those who have yet the pleasure of meeting Rebecca, I'm delighted to inform you that her excellent duelling skills will be a valuable asset to our cause."

Becky was shifting uneasily as the headmaster signalled her to step forward. The soft gasps among some of the members when her name was uttered did not escape her. She cleared her throat self-consciously. "I'm sorry to say that Professor Dumbledore might have exaggerated about whatever duelling skills I have. But I do hope I will be an asset like he mentioned." She heard a soft chuckle from the elderly man and drew sufficient courage to look directly at the others in the room. She immediately spotted Sirius and Remus, and pulled her gaze away quickly. There was also Professor McGonagall and three others she did not recognise. She drew a breath and continued, addressing the three strangers. "Those of you whom I'm meeting for the first time might have noticed my name. I do not deny that I'm a Pettigrew. Peter Pettigrew was my half-brother."

"We're not here to learn about your family tree, Miss Pettigrew. As long as you can prove your worth to our cause, we don't care if you're related to the Dark Lord himself."

Becky looked into the direction of the voice and was surprised to see Snape step out of the shadows. She had not noticed his presence earlier.

Snape addressed Dumbledore. "Shall we get on with the meeting, Albus?"

The headmaster obliged, but not before introducing Becky to the three members whom she now knew to be Mad Eye Moody, Arabella Figgs and Mundungus Fletcher. The meeting then went on uneventfully, as no one had either progress or news to report.

Before he called the meeting to an end, Dumbledore had one last announcement to make. "We all know there are uncertainties and dangers in this path we have chosen. From today, I'd like all of you to work in pairs. Keep your partner in the know at all times, before you embark on your respective tasks which I will assign at our next meeting. I need you to look out for one another and work closely together. Should one of you be unable to attend our meetings, I'd count on the partner to report on his behalf."

The members nodded their consent.

"Very well," Dumbledore smiled. "Minerva, you can work with Mundungus, and Arabella will partner Moody. And since I do not want any members to kill one other in the process, Severus, you can work with Remus."

Becky's eyes widened in shock. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the frown on Sirius' face. "Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore –"

"Albus," the headmaster corrected.

"Very well, Albus. If you don't mind, I think Remus and Sirius would work well together." There was a brief stretch of silence, and she could feel all eyes were fixed on her.

Dumbledore considered her thoughtfully. "Am I right to assume that you'd work with Severus?"

"Yes, Pro – Albus. I'd like to work with Severus," she confirmed in a quiet voice. _Anyone but Sirius._

If Dumbledore was surprised, he did not show it. Becky let out a sigh of relief when he nodded his agreement and signalled the time for dismissal. She hurried towards the exit after McGonagall and Arabella, anxious to return to the safe haven of her home. However, she was not in luck. Sirius had grabbed her arm and pulled her to a corner of the room, where Remus was waiting.

"What's going on back there?" Sirius barked as soon as they were out of earshot.

She pursed her lips into a thin line. "I've no idea what you're talking about."

He looked exasperated. "Look, if you want, I can work with that git so that Remus can take care of you."

Her eyes darted back to his face. There was no trace of warmth in her gaze. "I see," she said slowly. "You'd rather work with Severus than with me. I get the picture, Sirius. You couldn't have put it across more clearly."

"What are you talking about?" he growled as he impatiently waved off Remus who looked as if he was going to interrupt their conversation.

Instead of replying, Becky shook her head and made for the exit with slow but determined steps.

Remus cleared his throat as Sirius stared after her.

"What now?" he snapped at the werewolf.

Remus appeared unperturbed. "It seems you two have one thing in common. Both of you prefer to be paired with Snape than with one another."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest but could not find the words.

"If you don't want her to partner Snape, it might be a better idea to offer to pair up with her instead of offering me as an alternative partner," Remus continued.

"What's –"

"She's right that your message was brought across loud and clear. But there's one thing I can't put my finger to. Are you sure you have not told her about…you know, _that_?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Then she's more perceptive than I thought. She probably noticed that you've been avoiding her and guessed the reason behind that." Remus put up a hand to stop Sirius from cutting in. "Of course, there's another possibility. She may have decided that Snape is a more suitable candidate for her to lavish her attention on instead."

Sirius' eyes went wide with horror and shock. His mind was blank and he was, once again, at a complete lost for words.

----------

**Jade Merlin**: I like your suggestion!

**Padfoot-Dreamer**: This is probably the last time I can use your old username! Cute dialogue you had with Sirius in your review, but he wasn't the guy who caught Becky – it was dear old Snape! ;)

**violingirl7**: Thanks for your kind words! You visit SugarQuill as well? Actually, I've not posted for months there cuz my beta was upset with my bad grammar, while I was upset that she took more than a month to beta-read each chapter. But I have a new beta now, so I'll post again at SugarQuill soon. Then, I can re-upload edited versions of my past chapters at 

**fra**: You're my 100th reviewer!!! Cookies? Ice-cream? Candies? Hot chocolate? Take your pick! :)

**ANNE( v )79**: Venezuela! There're lots of VERY good-looking girls in your country! (OK, I admit I do watch telecasts of the Miss World and Miss Universe finals.)

**elvesmagic010**: Hooray! You're rooting for Snape! I'm so relieved and happy that Snape has some supporters! I'm waiting anxiously for your next chapter of Last Chance. It's among my favourite fics now!

**OutofAzkaban**: I've seen POA. It's great as a standalone movie, but as a fan of Rowling's HP books, I felt short-changed cuz there were many differences between the movie & the book, and I felt they glossed over Sirius. David Thewlis did a great job and was perfect as Lupin. But Gary Oldman…he could certainly act well but something's missing. He just didn't remind me of the Sirius in the book! Going by appearance, he's too short (since when is Sirius shorter than Lupin?!), too old (Sirius is about 34 in POA, not 46!) and not good-looking enough. And his character in the movie seems a little superficial. What happened to the concern he showed Harry BEFORE they even exchanged a single word? He risked getting caught by buying Harry the Firebolt when he was on the run. He showed his mischievous side by banging Snape's head as they made their way out of the Shrieking Shack. He was sweet enough to give Ron an owl and thoughtful enough to send Harry the consent form. Where on earth are these events in the movie!?

**potts**: Thanks for supporting Snape! Well, I'll let Becky decide for herself… evil grin

**Snuffles2984**: Thanks, thanks, thanks for loving this story. Your review had been smiling for quite some time!

---

I want to thank all my reviewers once again. You guys & gals are the reason why I'm slaving over this fic! For the rest of you who are reading but not reviewing, why are you waiting for? Please be nice and drop me a note (about this story, chapter, or simply about the POA movie). That will put a wide grin on my face. I may even become a loon and start talking to myself if I hear from you! :)

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	13. Truth Uncovered

**Truth Uncovered**

Becky heard someone called her name and stopped.

Naomi ran up to her, slightly out of breath. "Whoa! I'm sure glad I caught up with you. Where in the world are you rushing off to?"

"Nowhere," Becky forced a smile. She had met Naomi a few times since their first meeting in Remus' quarters, and had grown to like the younger woman.

Naomi linked her hands through Becky's arm, and walked with her towards the edge of the forest where Becky could apparate. "Why didn't you drop by my office?"

"I…erm…I'm just here to pay the headmaster a visit."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Naomi frowned. "You weren't in the same mysterious meeting as Remus, were you?"

Becky panicked. The Order was supposed to be secret, wasn't it?

When her companion did not respond, Naomi continued, "I know Remus is performing some task for Dumbledore. He's really secretive about it, but it doesn't take a genius to guess it's to do with You-Know-Who."

Becky chose to stay silent.

"I wish I can help in some way, but I'd be more of a hindrance than help, so it's best that I stay away."

"Why would you think that way?" Becky was getting curious.

Naomi widened her eyes. "You mean the guys didn't tell you? I'm a squib."

"Oh." Becky did not know what else to say.

"I don't mean to probe, but in case you're in the same…shall I call it mission? Yes…if you're in the same mission as Remus, can you promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

"Keep an eye on him? I know he's a smart and talented wizard and all, but…sometimes…accidents can happen. Don't let anything bad happen to him, if you can help it, okay?"

"Naomi…"

"We have plans to get married in a year's time."

"That's wonderful!"

"Remus wanted to save up before our wedding. I told him I don't mind making do with less but he won't hear of it."

"Congratulations!" Becky found reason to smile genuinely for the first time that day.

"Thanks," Naomi returned. "I'm probably being paranoid, but things are so perfect now that I fear something bad will take place to change everything."

"You're worrying too much, my dear! Remus knows how to take care of himself."

They walked a few paces in silence before Naomi changed the subject. "So what have you been up to lately? We hardly see you around anymore."

Becky hesitated. "I've been resting. Before I start on my new job."

Naomi squealed in delight. "You've found a job? What? Where? When do you start?"

"Easy!" Becky laughed. "I'll be an assistant in Glover's Gowns, and I start the coming Monday."

"Glover's Gowns? Isn't that the new clothing shop at Hogsmeade?"

Becky nodded. "The same."

"That's great! We can look for you during those Hogsmeade trips in future!"

"Sure."

"That'll be fun! The four of us can double-date!"

"The four of us?"

"Of course! With the two guys!"

"You mean –"

Naomi giggled. "Remus and Sirius, silly!"

Becky steeled herself to say the name. "But Sirius is not –"

"Yes, he's not a staff but he has been hanging around Hogwarts everyday and has become somewhat like a permanent fixture now! I reckon he'd be joining us for those visits, especially since Harry will be there too. Sirius is a big softie when it comes to that godson of his, isn't he?"

Becky decided it was time to change the subject. "So what have you been busy with lately? Besides your lessons?"

Naomi's eyes twinkled. "Remus is trying to help me set up a telephone system in the school!"

"Telephone?"

"It's a muggle device. It's a fantastic piece of equipment, and they use it to communicate with one another by just dialling a few numbers and setting up some wires. It's more complicated than it sounds, since we have to tap into the connection of the muggle world. I'll show you how it works when we succeed in setting up the system."

"So I take it that you're over those rollerskates now?"

Naomi shrugged. "Remus was not crazy about them. He approves of telephones though, since that's something we can use. I never cease to freak out whenever I see his head appear in my fireplace. And I think my screams in turn freak him out. Once the telephone lines are set up, we can buzz each other all the time!"

Becky felt a pang of envy. How nice it would be to belong to a twosome! She was once again reminded of how alone she truly felt.

---

Becky kept herself occupied with her work over the next few weeks. She found it an effective distraction, one that kept her thoughts from wandering back to Sirius. The nights were more difficult. She had even contemplated moving to another house just to avoid Sirius, but soon dismissed the thought since there was no way she could refrain from seeing him totally. The much-dreaded Order of the Phoenix meetings would make sure their paths would keep crossing. But thankfully, Dumbledore had not called for a meeting since the first one Becky had attended. And she certainly wasn't about to complain about the lapse.

One day, Becky had visitors at Glover's Gowns – three of them to be exact. She schooled her facial expressions to look pleasantly surprised when she spotted Harry enter the shop, flanked by his two best friends.

"Hi Becky," the boy said a little shyly as he approached the counter she was manning.

She plastered on a smile and nodded to his friends. "Hogsmeade trip?"

Harry nodded. "Professor Lupin mentioned you work here now, so I thought I should pop by to say hi."

"Remus? I don't remember telling him."

"You must have told Professor Carter then," Hermione quipped in a knowing tone. "She tells him everything."

"You're quite right." Becky held her breath. "So is…erm…Professor Lupin and Carter on this trip too?"

"Full moon was yesterday," Harry whispered. "She's staying back in school with him."

Becky almost laughed out loud in her relief. But there was one more question she had to ask to be sure. "So who are the adults accompanying you kids on this trip?" She deliberately used "adults" instead of "professors". She had to know if Sirius was somewhere near.

"Professor Flitwick, Professor Vector, Madam Hooch –" Hermione supplied eagerly before she was interrupted by Ron.

"And Professor Snape," the redhead cut in with a snort.

_Good_, Becky thought. _If Severus is here_, _there's a high chance Sirius will give this trip a miss._

"Well, thanks for dropping by." Becky's smile was genuine this time. "I wish I can buy you kids a drink, but I don't think Mrs Glover will allow me some time off."

Harry cleared his throat before turning to his friends. "Can you two go to The Three Broomsticks first? I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Ron and Hermione looked puzzled but did not protest. As soon as they left the shop, Harry returned his attention to Becky. "Sirius looks a little out of sorts lately. I'm wondering if you're able to tell me what's bothering him."

She stared down at her hands. "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Harry. You see, I've not seen Sirius lately."

"You've not?" The boy widened his eyes. "But you're his girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend. Where did you get that idea from?"

"You – you were – you were obviously a pair," Harry stuttered in his confusion. "You told me you like him and –"

Becky brought a hand up and twirled a lock of her hair around a finger uncomfortably. "It takes two to clap, Harry. Just because I feel a certain way about him, it doesn't mean he has to reciprocate."

"He doesn't…are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I thought you two were dating! That's why we went through all that trouble to -" he stopped in mid-sentence as he realised he had said too much.

But it was too late. Becky was sharp enough to pick up on what he said. "What trouble, Harry? Is there something I should know about?"

He decided this was an opportunity to confess and stop the guilt that had been eating at him for the past two months. He wiped his hands on his robes, and licked his lips. "I'm sorry."

"Harry?" she looked at him suspiciously.

"I've a confession to make."

"Yes?"

"I did not believe you really cared about Sirius at first."

She nodded slowly. "That's understandable. You did not know me, and with my background and all –"

"I tried to test you."

"Test me?"

He took in a deep breath. "Remember the lemonade?"

She looked away for a second. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given that to Severus."

"No, that's not what I meant. I…erm…I added something to the lemonade."

"Lemon?" she guessed dully.

"No. Veritaserum. Three drops of it."

Becky was at a loss for words for several long seconds. "You wanted to use Veritaserum on me?"

"I'm sorry." The crimson in Harry's cheeks deepened. "I wasn't sure and I had to know if you were telling the truth. I couldn't risk Sirius –"

"Right, I understand."

"You do?"

"Yes, Harry. I understand. I might have done the same if I were in your position."

"You would?" He had trouble believing what he was hearing. "You're not angry or upset with me? That was so wrong. That was a really stupid thing to do."

Becky did not seem to have heard him. "Tell me, Harry, are you absolutely sure that the Veritaserum was correctly brewed? It's a complicated potion and you –"

"It had to work," Harry flushed even more and hung his head low. "We stole that from Professor Snape."

Becky suddenly felt faint. "So I ended up giving Snape's Veritaserum to him?"

"He must have found a way to counter it, since you mentioned that he left soon after taking the drink." It was Harry's turn to become suspicious. "He really left immediately after taking the drink, didn't he?"

She held her breath. "Yes, he did."

"He – he did not do or say anything?"

"No, Harry," she replied calmly. "He left without another word."

"That's a shame," the boy said wistfully. He wondered what would have happened if he had been present when Snape took the Veritaserum. There were endless questions he wanted to ask his Potions professor. Why did he hate Sirius and his father so much? After all, Sirius had been proven innocent while James had saved Snape's life! And why did he hate Harry so much? Did he really think Harry was proud and arrogant, or was it simply because of Harry's links to his father and godfather?

"I'm sorry, Harry. I would love to chat but my boss is already shooting me dark looks," she summoned a slight smile. As she watched the boy leave the store, she found that she had lots to think about.

It hurt that he had enough doubts about her motives to resort to Veritaserum. But she was consoled that he had learnt to trust her enough to make his confession.

Harry had definitely left her with something to ponder about. What had Snape told her again? In a flash, his words flashed across her mind.

_"I bet you'd not loved anyone, and probably never will."_

_"You're wrong."_

_"You'd ever loved someone? Really?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Do I know her?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Who's she, if I may ask?"_

_"You."_

_"You're kidding, right? Who is she?"_

_"Rebecca Pettigrew."_

Becky had to grip the side of the table to stop herself from falling to the ground.

_Severus Snape? How can this be?_

Then she remembered how gentle and tender he had been when she was at his quarters, lying on his bed.

_Oh Merlin! How should I go from here?_

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**YanLan**: Yes, you're a sadist. But so am I! :)

**fra**: I'm glad you liked my Severus Snape, and share my exact sentiments about Gary Oldman & POA!

**ANNE( v )79**: You really feel that Snape should take his chances with Becky just to piss Sirius off? But that's being cruel to Becky! Sirius' eyes are grey? Really! Yippee! I was wondering about that! Where was the colour of his eyes mentioned? Oh, and I'll try to include another flashback before I end this fic.

**Summerkins**: I don't think Snape will be evil in the books. In OotP, he showed a little of his softer side. And I believe Rowling will play that up even more in the next two books. So Snape can be a likeable character too! :)

**OutofAzkaban**: You've succeeded in making me a loon - not just by reviewing my fics, but also by letting me get engaged to Sirius in your fic! Luv ya!

**TheDreamerLady**: A new reviewer! YAY! Welcome! :)

**GonnaBeFamous**: Hi Rebecca! Since Snape is your favourite character and you share the same name as the main OC, this fic is absolutely meant for you! LOL

**Snuffles2984**: Since you love suspense, I'm not telling you who she'll end up with!

**Yun Fei** & **fra**: This is the Chapter 13. messed up again and now I have an additional chapter number out of nowhere...

**funkysuperstar**: Lucky gal! I need a vacation too ;)

**elvesmagic010**: Snape will not be under-appreciated in this fic. Thanks for pointing out the mistake - I didn't notice it during my proof-reading. Oh, and hurry up on Last Chance!

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